A Fine Line: FY
by Moonraven
Summary: Tasuki may have witnessed a murder and became the next target. Chichiri is assigned to protect him and all could go well if they don't kill each other first. (ChirixTas, WK Xover)
1. Of Ice and Eye Patch

**_Author's notes and warnings:_** Hello again everyone! Well here it is, the FY/WK crossover, FY portion. The companion fic with the same name, A Fine Line, is posted in the WK section if you're interested in the WK's POV of the story. It's not necessary to read it but I was told that it's quite interesting. It would give you more depth to the story and…well…more stories to read, ne?

When characters from both anime interact, and they will, that chapter will be posted in both section but POV will changed slightly so I don't break any rules. If you are interested in reading both sections, the story will have same title so it would be easy for you to find. If you leave your email address, I will email you when I update.   
  


This story is dedicated to the wonderful Xellas M. who's been a real friend, cyber or otherwise. ((((HUGS))))

This story would also be a vast, unintelligible muddle of words had it not been for the stupendous effort of my beta reader, Hitari-chan! Arigatou, no da!   
  


**_Hugs and blessings to all my WK reviewers, no da:_** _Alfirin Sereq, FireKat, Ryo-chan, Xellas M., Keimei, hcbenitez, Whisper Reilman, fei, Carrothien, Shavica, Siberian, Midori Natari Himura, Carter Tachikawa, Jen, Mikazuki.   
  
_

**Summary: **

_Fushigi Yuugi_ - Tasuki witnessed the murder of a high-ranking government official and Chichiri is hired to protect him and they must go where no one will find them…a deserted island, no da…

_Weiss Kreuz_ - Ran and Ken are assigned to kill Tasuki. As they hunt for him, they wonder about the validity of the assignment as well as how they really feel about each other.   
  


Pairing: Weiss pairing will eventually be Ran/Ken, Youji/ Omi but along the way I'll throw in some Ran/Youji and Ran/Tasuki. *grins evilly* 

Fushigi Yuugi pairing will eventually be Chichiri/Tasuki. Heh, heh, heh, but Tas-chan will have lots of romps with various bishounens including Ran, ne? I've also given Tasuki and Chichiri new names: Tryffin and Ceilen. Tasuki or Tryffin as he will be know in this fic, is very different from any Tasuki I've written as well as the other Tasukis that are out there in the fandom. He's going to be really promiscuous…um…think slutty. Okay, let's not throw anything at me yet, all right, he's not a bad person. Chichiri (Ceilen) will straighten him out, don't worry. I just thought I'd warn you, that's all. But if you've read the Weiss part of the fic, you would have seen that already…

Anywoo, I hope you enjoy this. It's a big project to undertake for me but with your support, I know I can do it! Er…you don't need to send me money or anything; reviews will do nicely! ^.~   
  


Limes will be scattered here and there and maybe one or two lemons as well, I don't know yet. Bad language, drug use (bad, bad, bad), bishounen torture, sap, angst, you name it, I have it! *sweatdrops*   
  


Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my demented little mind, no da…   
  
  


ENJOY!!!   
  
  
  


**A Fine Line** - **_Chapter One:__ Of Ice and Eye Patch_**

By Moonraven   
  
  


Tryffin felt empty and hollow.   
  


He frowned at his naked reflection in the bathroom mirror and leaned closer, trying to figure out what was different about himself. The large hazel eyes stared back at him intently. The fiery orange hair that framed his face was wild and unruly and Tryffin reached up to smooth it back in place. No such luck; his hair was just as wild as the story of his life.   
  


"Ne, Tryffin." Kouji's voice called from the bedroom and the redhead sighed as he turned off the light.   
  


"Nani?" Still naked, he came out of the bathroom and walked back to bed where his lover was waiting.   
  


"What're you doing?" The handsome head of security of Japan's largest pharmaceutical company pulled back the sheets for Tryffin as the younger man approached the bed. "You took forever." Kouji nuzzled Tryffin's neck, trying to get the younger man to respond to his growing needs.   
  


Tryffin sighed and tilted his head back, allowing Kouji to roam where he pleased. It felt good. It always did. Sex was always good with Kouji but then again, Tryffin wasn't hard to please. Sex was very good with most people he'd been with. And he'd been with a lot. But lately he'd found that after sex, he was missing something. He found no satisfaction no matter how many times they had made him cum. No matter who had made him cum. He was left empty and craving more. More of something he didn't know what.   
  


So he had more sex. With more people. It wasn't hard, most people responded to his youthful good looks and flirtatious charms and so Tryffin found himself pretty busy.   
  


But he still felt empty. Something was missing and for the life of him, Tryffin couldn't figure out what it was. All he knew was that it had something to do with brown eyes. Well, one brown eye to be precise.   
  


He remembered an eye so chilling that it pinned him, frozen to the spot. It's gaze bore deep into his soul and took away everything he had thought was important and real. It was that single look that had changed his entire life.   
  


It happened 6 months ago, when he and Kouji went shopping in the Ginza area. They were coming out of the Miatsukashi when Tryffin ran headlong into the man with the brown eye patch. He stumbled back and muttered a curse and was rewarded with a look so cold it could freeze Mr. Heat in his tracks. Kouji apologized for his lover and they began to move down the street.   
  


All of a sudden, several shots rang out and Tryffin saw the man with the eye patch push another man he was with to the ground. The man used his body as a shield while he shoved his charge towards the shelter of a parked car. When the commotion died down Tryffin saw that the man with the eye patch was holding a gun and was searching the crowd. Tryffin himself had pushed Kouji against another car while covering his lover's body with his own. He remembered thinking that he must have been crazy but when all the screaming started, he had acted without any thoughts.   
  


And that action had taken Tryffin way too close to the man he dubbed Patch. When Kouji pushed Tryffin away and tried to get up, Patch had thought that both he and Kouji were a threat and Tryffin found the gun pointing at them. That one emotionless brown eye searched his face then scanned down his body and up again to be continued with the same efficiency on Kouji. When they were deemed safe, Patch scanned the crowd again. Several more men dressed similarly to Patch, in dark blue suits, came and crouched by him and they talked in hushed tone. Soon a large metallic grey sedan pulled up to where they were and the men, including Patch, scurried into it, all the while shielding that other man with their bodies. They left skid marks as they sped away and the crowd began to move about again. Within weeks, the incident was forgotten to the people and it was never mentioned again.   
  


But Tryffin hadn't forgotten. He couldn't get that eye out of his mind. Sometimes, out of nowhere, the image of the man's face with his unyielding eye would pop into Tryffin's head and he would shiver involuntarily. He found himself thinking about the eye patch and wondered what could have happened to the man and if he really had one eye.   
  


Intense pleasure brought Tryffin back to the present and the redhead thrust back against his lover with a moan. When Kouji's hand reached underneath him and grasped his hardened cock, Tryffin sighed and gave in to the pleasure.   
  


It was always the same. He would be lost in the all-consuming passion and they would have sex deep into the night.   
  


Exhausted, he would drift off to sleep…to be plagued with the image of the frosty brown eye haunting his dreams…   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


"He gives me the creeps." Tryffin said moodily to Kouji as the dark haired security officer straightened his tie. The redhead himself was still naked and wrapped luxuriously in soft sheets on the bed. "He's not all there, if you know what I mean." He continued as he stretched leisurely. "How did he get to be the crown prince's advisor, I'll never know." He casually threw a pillow at his lover's back when he didn't get a response.   
  


"I heard you, I heard you." Kouji grinned at the redhead's reflection in the mirror. He turned to face his pouting lover and leaned back against the dresser. "He's a genius. They're supposed to be…weird." He pushed off the dresser and walked towards the bed. "Get there by eight. I'll meet you there." Kouji leaned over and gave Tryffin a lingering kiss. "You always complain but you love his club." Kouji ran his hand slowly down Tryffin's chest and abdomen as he smirked at the redhead. "You love all the kinky things that go on there and you love to get your cute little ass fucked senseless." He emphasized by pulling on Tryffin's hardening cock. "Eight o'clock!" He said against Tryffin's ear before pulling away. "Don't be late."   
  


Tryffin threw himself back on the bed after Kouji left for work and contemplated his activity for the day. Being a kept man was fun for a while but now he was bored to tears. Shopping was great but when you have everything you wanted, what was there to shop for? He could buy things for someone else but he had no one. His family was gone and he couldn't care less about his foster families. They were more fucked up than HE was; he had to wonder how the hell they'd gotten the government to allow them to take care of kids. Tryffin had often thought that perhaps HE was the problem. How was it that all three of his foster homes were straight out of a nightmare?   
  


The Hinos were the first to take him in after his parents' death. Tryffin was 13 years old, naive, outgoing and loving. When he left the Hinos, almost two years later, he was more cautious and withdrawn. He had acquired a black belt in Karate during his stay there and it had everything to do with the head of the household.   
  


Akuro Hino was an asshole that abused his wife and tried several times to rape Tryffin. The boy's speed came to his rescue and he had always managed to escape no matter how hard the pedophile tried. After a few weeks, Tryffin began taking Karate lessons from school and later, when he had shown great promise, received free lessons from a nearby dojo in exchange for minor cleaning and work around the place. Tryffin became his foster mother's defender and Akuro had never tried anything again in Tryffin's presence. When Rina, his foster mother, had gotten enough nerves to leave the bastard, the government tossed Tryffin into another home.   
  


The next two families he'd stayed with weren't much better. Tryffin had learned sex with the second family, the Takahashis. This time it was the 15 year old son of the family that had shown him the pleasures of the body. They had gotten it on every night, and some, until the father caught them together and insisted that Tryffin 'service' him as well. That was the beginning of the end for the Takahashis and within 10 months of his arrival, Tryffin found himself in another home.   
  


In Tryffin's third home, he found out that he did not like women. At the age where girls should be occupying his mind, (especially the voluptuous 17 year old foster sister who tried to jump his bones every chance she got) Tryffin found himself fantasizing about her older brother instead. Things got complicated once again when the family found out and tried to beat 'it' out of him. That was when Tryffin decided that families were not for him. He went into hiding and learned to use his body to get what he wanted.   
  


But it wasn't just the families that he was put into; his looks were an issue elsewhere as well. School for instance; Tryffin didn't like to do homework and found that volunteers were aplenty if you knew how to give good heads. Hell, he'd even let his English teacher fuck him so he wouldn't fail and had to drop out of the soccer team. What the hell kind of teacher would screw a 16 year-old?   
  


By that time, Tryffin was becoming wary of people. He had concluded that they wanted one thing from him and one thing only; sex. Well, he'd give them sex if that's what they want…but he had a few conditions of his own and by the ripe old age of 18, Tryffin had become a master in seduction. He had no complaints, it had gotten him fed, clothed and housed. It had gotten him everything he'd ever needed or wanted…he was really quite happy.   
  


Then what was this empty feeling in the core of his very being? What was missing?   
  


Tryffin closed his eyes and images of Patch came to his mind yet again. He sighed and shook his head. What was this obsession with a pirate wannabe? Not obsession, he told himself sternly. He was just curious. But even before he finished his thought, he knew it wasn't true. It was definitely more than curiosity…he just didn't know what it was.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


"Oh C'mon, Tryf. It'll take me all of 5 minutes to fuck him." Kouji nuzzled Tryffin's neck. "I'll be back in no time."   
  
Tryffin rolled his eyes and shook his head. Five minutes my ass, he thought. Kouji would be gone half the night and he would be stuck entertaining Kouji's friend and club owner, Shitahara. But Tryffin really couldn't complain; he screwed around too. It was what made his relationship with Kouji work. No strings, no ties, no commitment. They were both free to do as they pleased as long as both parties practiced safe sex and agreed to each other's partners.   
  


"Damn it, Kouji, after this you owe me BIG time!" Tryffin muttered under his breath. His lover gave him a quick peck on the lips and sauntered off towards a small blond waiting down the hall.   
  


Tryffin hadn't found anyone of interest tonight and he groaned at the thought of babysitting Shitahara. Okay, it wasn't really babysitting but he'd seen the way the man coupled, and it wasn't pretty. The guy was gorgeous enough; it was the way he did things. Shitahara seemed to lose it when he got really excited and he would become violent and his partners would get hurt in the process. Oh, don't get him wrong, Tryffin would be the first in line to get some rough sex but HE didn't send anyone to the hospital. Shitahara reminded him of his first foster father, Akuro. The bastard loved to inflict pain and as long as Tryffin was around, Shitahara was going to behave.   
  


"Did I tell you how scrumptious you look tonight?" An oily voice purred in his ear and Tryffin sighed tiredly. Yes, he knew he looked 'scrumptious'. He always looked good enough to eat but tonight he knew he outdid himself. The tiny loincloth he wore barely covered his dick and balls and it was designed as a G-string so it left his ass bare for the world to see. For the sake of modesty, false or otherwise, Tryffin decided to paint on a pair of pants. The blue paint only served to further accentuate Tryffin's firm young body and the temperature elevated everywhere Tryffin went. Kouji had jumped him the minute he saw Tryffin and fucked him stupid. When they were done, Tryffin had to retouch the paint but it was worth it, boy was it worth it. Tryffin smirked at the memories. Hell yeah, he knew he looked good.   
  


His thoughts came back to the man next to him. Shitahara was out of his room, which meant that he found someone interesting on the vidscreen, and wanted Tryffin to fetch them for him. Shitahara did not go down into the public area of the club, he didn't like to be seen and for a good reason. He was on the imperial cabinet and was the closest advisor to the crown price of Japan. It wouldn't do to be seen publicly in a place like this let alone make it public that he owned the place.   
  


"Who do you want?" Tryffin asked as he raised his eyebrows at the tall man in a black satin robe. The coarse black hair only showed slight graying at the temples and if Tryffin didn't know him better, he would think that the man look distinguished. But now, only unstable came to mind. Very attractive but unstable.   
  


Shitahara laughed and cupped Tryffin's crotch. "I always want you, Tryffin, but tonight I want you with a delicious looking brunette downstairs." Shitahara showed Tryffin on the portable vidscreen he brought with him. "Him, with the tall redhead." He pointed to an attractive brunette in a leather harness. Tryffin raised his brows as he watched the young man frozen on the screen. Shitahara had good taste, really good taste.   
  


"Tako is going to them now but you know him, Tryffin. Please go get them for me." Shitahara was almost whining as he pleaded Tryffin.   
  


Tryffin sighed and nodded. "Fine but you have to promise me you'll behave." He looked at the taller man severely. "Control yourself and no violence." He added firmly.   
  


Shitahara nodded vigorously as he continued to leer at the vidscreen. "I promise."   
  
Tryffin sighed and told Shitahara to go back to his room and wait. Then he went in the direction of the dance floor in search of Shitahara's next fuck. Tryffin thought about the good-looking young man on the screen and wondered why he felt that the brunette didn't belong there. There was an air of innocence about him that made Tryffin almost sorry that Shitahara had selected him. He sincerely hoped that the young man was tougher than he looked. His thoughts drifted to the redhead that stood next to the brunette. Now THAT man had seen some action and the thought of the taller man brought familiar warmth to Tryffin's groin.   
  


When he reached the railing of the balcony overlooking the large dance floor below, he scanned the crowd carefully. After a few moments he spotted them not too far from the staircase talking to Tako. Tryffin made his way down the stairs towards them, his eyes intently on the couple. The brunette was held firmly against the tall redhead but he was struggling in earnest as he tried to get his fist to connect with Tako's drooling face. Tryffin rolled his eyes at the pathetic sicko that Shitahara hired. An accountant should be at a desk, behind closed doors, counting something, shouldn't he? Well THIS particular accountant anyways because a leather-clad Tako in public is NOT a good thing. Martha Stewart may just have a conniption.   
  


When Tryffin was close enough, he heard the brunette yell, "Are you NUTS?" as he stood on tiptoe and peered at his tall partner.   
  


The tall redhead with incredible eyes looked past the brunette, whom Tryffin assumed was his lover, to Tako and told the accountant that he needed a moment with the brunette. Tryffin watched them intently; he couldn't seem to take his eyes off the taller man who was so incredibly controlled and in-charge. The tall redhead pulled the brunette against his chest and nuzzled his ear. Tryffin couldn't hear their whispers above the noise of the music but he saw the brunette trembled almost violently at the taller man's touches.   
  


Tryffin's breaths quickened as he watched the pair rub against each other and he shifted uncomfortably. They talked quietly and the brunette glanced unhappily at Tako. Tryffin had to laugh, the poor ugly man really tried hard. Tryffin pushed his way towards the couple and saw the redhead gave the smaller man a kiss. The brunette looked shocked out of his skin and Tryffin wondered at that. Weren't they lovers?   
  


"What are YOU doing here?" Tako said irritably, his high pitched voice made Tryffin shiver involuntarily. The short, pudgy man had moved to his side and glared at him hatefully.   
  


Tryffin ignored him. He had a much better person to look at and that person was currently looking right back at him. Tryffin grinned mischievously. Oh, what fun!   
  


He carefully picked his way towards the couple; his eyes never leaving the cool, calculating eyes of the tall redhead. Tryffin licked his lips in anticipation and he hardened a notch just thinking about bedding the other man. He came to a stop and noticed with a smirk that the hot redhead had let go of his lover.   
  


"I'm Tryffin." He purred and held out his hand. He leaned ever so slightly forward as he blinked up at the violet eyes, lips parting enticingly. What was it about the aloofness in this man that attracted him so much? Why was the cold indifference in the man's frosty eyes so intriguing…so familiar?   
  


Tryffin laughed at Tako when the man told him to leave the pair alone. No one ever paid attention to the mediocre man; Tryffin was no different. His eyes stayed riveted to the magnetic pools of violet that were cold enough to freeze his heart yet they made his blood sear through his veins like molten lava. He licked his lips in anticipation as he waited for the man's name.   
  


"Aya." The tall man said softly. Aiya? He blinked blankly at the mesmerizing redhead. Oh! AYA! Tryffin could have kicked himself in the rear had that been possible. What the hell was he thinking? He trembled with excitement as those arctic violet eyes glinted briefly before they roamed his body. When they rested on his eyes again, Tryffin could almost swear the man was interested. YES!   
  


Tryffin smiled brighter and placed his extended hand on Ran's chest. He trailed the hand down slowly as his tongue darted out to lick his lips again. He was so excited he was sure he would burst from the little G-string pouch he wore.   
  


To Tryffin's surprise, the brunette stepped between them and nearly pushed him away. He blinked at the man who was so shy earlier it was almost painful to watch turned into a possessive lover and couldn't help but laugh. There was nothing more potent to boost one's courage than a love that was threatened.   
  


As much as he would love to stay and have fun with these two, not to mention goading Tako, Shitahara was waiting. The longer he took, the more time he allowed Shitahara to stew in whatever it was he normally stewed in to get him all worked up. Not a pleasant idea, thought Tryffin. It could also be painful for these two if he wasn't careful.   
  


After a last snide remark to Tako, Tryffin led the two men towards Shitahara. He turned as he reached the second step and called to the bickering lovers again. If it weren't for the incredible sexual tension between the two, Tryffin would never have guessed that they were lovers. Watching them now, he lazily trailed his fingers up and down his swollen cock, silently promising indescribable pleasure that had him panting with need.   
  


When Aya stepped up to him, Tryffin couldn't help but grab the man's hand and bring it to his aching center. He wanted the man so very badly. He moaned as Aya's hand rubbed his throbbing need and he thrust into those strong digits like there was no tomorrow.   
  


To Tryffin's surprise, Aya growled deep in his chest and squeezed Tryffin's straining cock roughly before pulling the smaller redhead against him. Tryffin didn't have time to protest or in this case shout with glee since he found his mouth quite occupied with the urgent probing of Aya's tongue. He moaned again and was sure he heard Aya do the same as the taller man grabbed his ass and made thrusting motion against him. Gods, he wanted this man NOW!   
  


Tryffin nearly fell off the steps when Aya was yanked roughly from him by a very pissed off Ken. Oops, he'd forgotten about the boyfriend, but Aya felt so fucking good. Tryffin sighed and pulled himself together. As much as he wanted Ran between his legs, he didn't want to break them up. He didn't need that on his conscious just now.   
  


"I'm sorry boys." He said sweetly as he pushed between the two men. "I just can't help myself." He told them and continued up the steps, two at a time. He led them to a darkened hallway at the other end of the club where Shitahara had his private fun. Two burley men stood guard in front of the door. They reminded him of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and Tryffin could never stop the smile that came to his face everytime he saw them. He wondered absently if they've ever heard of Alice and the Rabbit.   
  


After a few pleasantries with the Tweedle brothers, Tryffin took Aya and Ken into the room to meet their host. Shitahara was lounging on the custom made bed twice the size of any King size bed. The red satin covers contrasted vividly with the black satin robe the man wore, or in this case, attempted to wear. It hung open enough for Tryffin to get a glimpse of his erection. Tryffin rolled his eyes at the blatant tactic before looking away. He moved to the other side of the room and watched Ken struggle with mild amusement. That boy was something else, all innocence and temptation wrapped in one very emotional package. Tryffin could see why Aya was so enthralled by him. He seemed to be all that Aya was not.   
  


Tryffin came out of his reverie when Shitahara turned a questioning look his way. "He's a newbie, Shita." He shrugged. "Give him a little time." Tryffin came up to stand next to Shitahara and rest his head on the tall man's shoulders as he allowed his hand to lazily caress the well-muscled chest. "Why don't we let them pleasure each other while I take care of you?" Tryffin suggested. "We'll loosen him up this way, ne, Shita?" Hopefully the man would be satisfied enough and wouldn't scare Ken out of his wits. The poor boy looked freaked enough to be committed somewhere.   
  


To encourage Shitahara, Tryffin slid his hand lower down the man's body and tucked enticingly on the hot, hard flesh. Shitahara moaned his insistence, "But I want HIM."   
  


"I know. Later, okay. You don't want him running and screaming out of here, do you?" Tryffin continued to fondle the man, his skilled hand moving expertly along the thick length. "Let me talk to them. Go wait for me on the bed." He pushed Shitahara towards the bed and watched as the man grudgingly did what he was told.   
  


Tryffin sighed and approached the two men. He looked from Aya to Ken, then back to Aya again, mainly because he'd rather look into those calm, cool eyes than the suspicious brown ones of Ken's. "Are you sure you two are lovers?" He teased softly.   
  


Aya narrowed his eyes and peered at him unnervingly. "Yes." He said. Oooh, the voice is just as cold.   
  


Tryffin shrugged carelessly. "If you say so. There's just WAY too much animosity between you two, that's all."   
  


"It's Ken's first time doing something like…this. He didn't want to come here. He's upset with me." Aya told Tryffin almost expressionlessly.   
  


Tryffin nodded and gave Ken an understanding smile. Hell, his first time with public sex, he'd nearly fainted himself. "I'll try to keep him away but…" Tryffin frowned as he shifted his gaze to Shitahara pleasuring himself on the bed. "He's quite taken with your lover." He told Aya reluctantly.   
  


Suddenly Ken leaned back heavily on Aya and the tall redhead looked at his lover with concern.   
  


"What's wrong?" Aya asked and Ken turned to blink hazily up at him. Tryffin leaned over and peered into the flushed face. Ken looked feverish and his eyes were very bright.   
  


"I don't know." Ken took a deep breath and grimaced. "I feel strange."   
  


Tryffin took a deep breath to test his theory. "I know what it is." He supplied as he looked sympathetically at Ken. "My first time with Xeno, I passed out for hours." He motioned for Aya to bring Ken to an armchair by one side of the wall. "This area has fresh air vents. Don't go to the other side, they mixed Xeno in with the ventilation on that side. It only comes out every half hour or so just to keep the mood but if you stay far enough, you'll be less affected."   
  


After Ken sank into the armchair and took several deep breaths to clear his head, the brunette turned confused eyes towards Tryffin.   
  


"I'm surprised you didn't just throw me at Shitahara. At this point, I don't think I could defend myself."   
  
Now why would he do that? Tryffin smiled at the poor boy who was no older than Tryffin himself but so much more sheltered than he had ever been. "That's why I didn't do it."   
  


He turned his attention to Aya and his expression suddenly changed. Now THIS man here was a totally different matter. This man could fuck him into the next anime and wouldn't even break a sweat.   
  


But that's not going to happen if they were to keep Shitahara from Ken. Tryffin wondered what was wrong with him sometimes. He was sure the brunette could hold his own in a fight but there was something so pure and untouched in those deep brown eyes that was eerily familiar. So familiar that it caused his stomach muscle to tighten at the thought of Shitahara defiling it.   
  


"Look," Tryffin started and stole a look at Ken. "If YOU don't do something with Ken, HE's going to want to." He motioned with his head towards Shitahara. "So while I keep him happy, you do whatever it is you guys do and let's hope Shitahara passes out soon, okay?"   
  


As Tryffin turned away, Aya caught his arm. Tryffin looked back, surprised.   
  


"Why are you doing this for us?" Aya asked.   
  


Tryffin thought about it for a moment and shrugged. What was he supposed to say? Your lover's eyes reminded me of something but I don't know what so I'm going to let Shitahara screw my ass so that he wouldn't go near Ken? He didn't think so!   
  


Instead he said, "Just because I love sex and the way we do it here, doesn't mean that everyone else does." It was very true. He cocked his head towards Ken. "HE certainly doesn't want to be here and I can see that he doesn't want anyone to touch him but you." Tryffin frowned at that. He didn't understand why some people chose to be monogamous, it was so…limiting. Just then, the image of a stern handsome face with a cold brown eye and the mysterious eye patch flashed in his mind. It jolted him back to the cold violet eyes staring coolly at him.   
  


Was that why he was so drawn to Aya? Because the man reminded him of Patch?   
  


Determined not to go back to his endless thoughts of Patch, Tryffin shrugged again and went towards the waiting Shitahara. At least the next moments would be spent in pleasure that would keep his mind off a certain enigmatic man whom Tryffin have no hopes of ever finding.   
  


Despite his resolve NOT to think about Patch, Tryffin found himself fantasizing about the man as Shitahara drove his hard length into him. Shitahara was not gentle, he never was, but Tryffin liked that. He liked it hard and fast and with some pain. This way he didn't have to think about the emotions that people always associate with sex; love, affection, care, tenderness…   
  


He didn't know what they were and he didn't want to. They serve no purpose except to make you cry. He'd seen too much of that in his foster families and during his 'quests' for knowledge of the carnal kind. To Tryffin, the more removed you were, the more pleasure you could have. No attachment, no commitment, no pain. (Hmm…sounds like someone I know in REDEMPTION…)   
  


A curious sense of danger made Tryffin open his eyes and despite the furious pounding Shitahara was giving him, Tryffin could only stare at Aya and Ken in confusion. Did they change their minds and decided to join him and Shitahara? A look at Ken's rigid face told him no. Tryffin looked to Aya but the other redhead just shrugged. Tryffin could feel Shitahara pulling out of him and he glanced at Ken again. The man looked ready to balk.   
  


Shitahara reached out and grabbed Ken by his harness and yanked him roughly onto the bed. Ken was unprepared for the unexpected violence and he lost his balance, crashing unceremoniously on the bed in front of Shitahara. Tryffin gasped when he saw the insanity glinting in the club owner's eyes and he watched in horror as Shitahara pounced on Ken. The smaller brunette grunted in pain and lay still as the wind was knocked out of him.   
  


Tryffin gave a strangled cry at Shitahara's antics and launched himself at the brutal man, knocking him across the bed.   
  


"God damn it, Shitahara!" Tryffin yelled at the man who was now sprawled back against the headboard. "I said no violence! I fucking hate it when you treat people like that." He growled at Shitahara while he helped Ken up.   
  


"You son of a bitch!" Shitahara grated furiously. "I do whatever I want!" He shouted and pulled a nasty long whip from under the pillow. He cracked it ominously over Tryffin's head and cackled madly.   
  


Tryffin tried to grab the whip but Aya jumped him, knocking both of them off the bed. He struggled under the taller man, trying to get Aya off him so he could go pound some sense into that asshole on the bed.   
  


Just then, a loud explosion rocked the building and the Tweedle brothers barged in with their guns drawn.   
  


On the bed, Ken was behind Shitahara but Tryffin couldn't tell what the man was doing, only that it looked pretty threatening. The Tweedle brothers rushed to the bed and Tryffin shouted, '"Aw, shit. Look out, Ken!"   
  


On top of him, Tryffin heard Aya talk into his wrist, "Side wall now, Bombay!" What the hell…?   
  


Another loud explosion rocked the building, only now it was from a few feet away. Aya covered Tryffin with his body as rubble rained on them then he got up and pulled Tryffin with him. Aya pushed him towards a large gap where the wall used to be at the end of the room. As the dust cleared, Tryffin could see two shadowy figures silhouetted in the gap, one tall and thin while the other was smaller.   
  


Tryffin coughed and batted his hand in front of his face to clear the dust. When they reached the two figures, Aya pushed him towards the taller blond with the sunglasses and said roughly, "Balinese, take him outside now." He then rushed back towards Ken and the other three men.   
  


Tryffin looked at the two men he was left with and blinked. The smaller blond looked like he was a kid and he stared at Tryffin with large saucer-like eyes. The boy squeaked and clapped a hand to his mouth before turning abruptly around.   
  


Soft laughter brought Tryffin attention to the tall man he was thrust at and he looked up to see laughing green eyes regarding him with some amusement. Balinese had taken off his coat and was wrapping it around Tryffin's naked shoulders before he threw Tryffin over his shoulders.   
  


"C'mon, Chibi, let's go!" The blond said to the boy as he ignored Tryffin's indignant protests.   
  


"What about Siberian and Abyssinian?" The boy asked as he looked back at the commotion in the room.   
  


"They can take care of themselves. You heard the man, let's go!"   
  


Tryffin felt Balinese jump away from the building and he gave a muffled yelled when he saw that they were in mid air. He tried to squirm around to see where they were going but the position he was in didn't give him much room to maneuver. Tryffin struggled weakly, not sure that he wanted to be dropped but he wasn't sure who these people were either. They had just blown up the building for fuck's sake.   
  


" Bombay, put him out before we both fall." Balinese said gruffly.   
  


Put him out? What…how…?   
  


Tryffin tried to tell them that he wouldn't struggle but it was too late. He felt a prick of something sharp at the base of his neck and then everything went black…   
  
  


TBC…   
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Author's note: Whew! *wipes brows*. I hope that explained a little bit about Tryffin and why he's so…um…naughty? And you do know who Patch is supposed to be, right? Heh, heh, I can't seem to get away from the cold Chichiri… I hope you like it so far?   
  


Please leave reviews to let me know what you think. If not, e-mails fine too! And if you want WK updates, leave me your email address….   
  


Hugs and blessings!   
  



	2. Of Hits and Near Misses

**_Author's notes and warnings:_ Arigatou, no da! Gods, I love you guys!!!! I thought I bit off more than I could chew with this story but you guys are so supportive!!!! ((((HUGS))))   
  
**

Thanks and blessings to all my reviewers, no da! (WK chapters as well!)

**Ayako: Thanks for reviewing both fics! Tasuki's going to have his own man soon, no da!**

**Hana no Ceres: LOL, dude, it's not pathetic at all. I'm going to have Tryffin find that missing piece, that I will…**

**Ivy: Um…you could tell me that every time you review…I don't mind… *giggles* Thank you!**

**IcaBob: LOL, continuing, no da! Thanks for both reviews!**

**Ryo-chan: How are you? How's your fics coming, sweetie? Thanks for your wonderful reviews!**

**Mikazuki: Arigatou! Tasuki's going to meet Chiri in this chapter…they won't get along…I love torturing them! *cackles evilly***

**Whisper Reilman: Thank you again! I'm glad you liked it. It was hard trying to keep the two stories apart. When I uploaded the new chapters, I have to double check a few times to make sure I didn't upload WK version in the FY section and vice versa…headache I tell you… But well worth it, ne?**

**Shadow Myst: Thank you! I was nervous making Tasuki so…well…um you know but readers are taking that well… *big relieve sigh* I'm really happy, no da!**

**Bitter Silence: LOL, I'm glad you remember REDEMPTION; I was almost pouting when I thought you forgot… Tryffin is similar to Zach, ne, but their motivation is totally different… I'm glad you like it, butter…er…bitter silence. Lol. Arigatou!**

**Wuffie-souji-honey: Ah…I was wondering what happened to your review… Er…do I want to know what you did to get kicked out? *grins* Please let me know when your website is up, I'd be interested to see you stories. Thanks for your review! Both of them, no da!**

**TigerBlak: Ah, but I DO have two chapters up, they're just in different fandom, no da. *grins* I'm glad you like the story, thank you for your review!**

**Lola: So…in for redheads, huh? Good choice especially when they're Tas-chan and Ran, ne? Any thoughts on Kenshin? Kawaii… Thanks for your comments!**

**Shadow Priestess: Spiffy? Nani? LOL, you're so cute! Thanks for your continual support of my wackiness, no da! Chichiri is definitely being pulled into this chapter! By Tasuki no less…**

**Hcbenitez: Thanks for reading both sections, no da! I'm glad you like them!**

**Faerie_X: Eew…NOT Farfie! DO NOT confuse Chiri with Farfarello, no da! I just cannot see Chiri licking knives… *shudders* And you're right, 'straight' is hardly appropriate for this story! Thanks for reviewing.**

**Chisama: LOL, I'm glad you like this as well… Thank you for reading it especially when you're not familiar with the anime…it could be confusing, ne?**

**Kawaii: Sweety, happy reading to YOU! Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm really happy you like it!**

**Keimei: LOL, what can I say…? I LOVE cold and withdrawn Chichiris! SEXY, I tell you! Besides, I have to have something for Tasuki to heat up, ne? Thank you!**

**Eeyaatoe: One Patch, coming right up! Yeah, Tryffin is similar to Zach but poor Zachy was hurt by Chiri, ne? Thank you!**

**FireKat: Aiya…but alas, I can't take credit for the name Tryffin… I'd first seen it when reading Green Lion Trilogy by Teresa Edgerton. If you're into fantasy novels, I highly recommend it! That's where 'Ceilen' is from too but she spelled it Ceilyn…I just didn't want a 'y' in Chichiri's name for some reason. Thanks for the really nice review, though.**

**Sakata: Ah…that's our expressive Ken, no? Ran's right, he's a really poor actor… LOL, and DO you like Tasuki as a slut? Oh the mental image is enough to have me grinning all day… Thanks, no da!**

**Xellas: Hugs, hugs, hugs!!! The story is definitely for you. You know how I have tons of ideas running around and if it wasn't for your insisting on see the *ahem* cavity search…I may have forgotten it all together! Thank for being there!**

**Greenfire: Oh no! I'm hardly original at all, I'm so sorry! *hangs head in shame* Gomen, gomen, gomen… But thank you for your kind review!**

**Fei! Thank you so much for hopping to FY and reviewing my little fic! Aw…*blushes* Thank you, thank you, thank you! Kenken is definitely worth protecting, ne? He's so damn kawaii…*sigh* I am SO very happy you like the story!**

**Krysana: Thank you very much! So glad you liked both parts and great big hug for the pic of the 4 WK seiyuus! You're right, Koyasu is so damn cute!**

**Midori: I know…poor Kenken! I really don't have any plans for him except Ran. I mean look at what I'm having Ran/Youji/Tryffin do…maybe I SHOULD have someone who is not so promiscuous, ne? But who know which ways my muse will go. Thanks for the comment!**

**Sirrah: *blushes* Thank you! I haven't seen you in a while, hope everything is alright? It's real good to see your comments again. Arigatou, no da!**

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone and if I had, please forgive me! Email me and chew me out all you want, I swear, I'll never forget again! ~.~   
  


The same warnings for the first chapter apply to this chapter, no da! Read at your own risk! From now on, the stories will branch out on their own and the characters from the two fandoms won't mingle as much. Well maybe AFTER this chapter… Xellas wanted a Ran/Tasuki moment… Please enjoy and let me know what you think!   
  


The end of this chapter and WK's second chapter has about 6 hours time difference… I don't like that since I'm ridiculously anal about things matching… By the end of WK's third chapter, they will be the same.  So, to keep myself in line, in the beginning of each chapter, I'll at least say what day it is…  Day one will be their meeting at the Rabid nightclub.  I won't give specific dates because I don't know much about the customs, traditions or holidays of the specific geographical area the boys are in… Not to mention weather patterns… yikes!

Wai! Hitari-chan is much better now and betaed this chapter for me! Thank you, sweetie!   
  
  
  


**A Fine Line - ****_Chapter Two:_ _Of Hits and Near Misses_**

By Moonraven   
  


_(Day One - after Midnight…well technically Day Two, ne)_

  
"Ow…ow…what the hell…?" Tryffin came to with a pounding headache.   
  


"Hey, don't get up, the paramedic's got you on a gurney of some kind." Kouji's voice advised and a strong hand held him down firmly by the shoulder. "How do you feel?"   
  
Tryffin opened one eye and peered in the direction of his lover's voice. Kouji came fuzzily into view as he smiled down at the redhead apologetically.   
  


"Head hurts." Tryffin mumbled. "What happened?"   
  


"Nobody knows." Kouji said and looked worriedly at the younger man. "We thought…maybe…well…maybe you knew."   
  


"We?" Tryffin tried blinking his mind back into focus but it didn't work. We who?   
  


"I'm officer Toshi, Tryffin-san. When you're up for it, I'd need to ask you a few questions." A tall, thin man in severe uniform stood next to Kouji and he seemed like he was ready to drag Tryffin through those questions now inspite of what he said.   
  


"Why?" Tryffin croaked.   
  


"It seems that you were with Shitahara-sama this evening, is that correct?" The officer asked.   
  


"Yeah, I was. Why? What did he do now?"   
  
"We don't know that it's anything he did, sir, but he was found killed in his room along with two of his bodyguards."   
  


Tryffin became alert instantly. He turned sharply toward Kouji and looked questioningly at the solemn man. Kouji nodded silently and glanced at officer Toshi. "You didn't see anything, did you?" Kouji asked.   
  


Tryffin thought about that for a long moment then he said, "No. We were…you know…" He glanced self-consciously at the officer before continuing. "Then there was this explosion and I don't remember anything else." Tryffin closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at anyone in particular. He didn't know why he said that; for all he knew, Aya and Ken were the ones that killed Shitahara and the Tweedle brothers…but somehow he didn't think so. If they were the killers, why leave him as a witness? Why not kill him too? He had the distinct feeling that there was more to all this and he was reluctant to say anymore until he knew more about what was going on.   
  


"Are you sure?" The cop wasn't exactly buying it but Tryffin didn't care. At that very moment, he just wanted to be left the fuck alone with his Godzilla of a headache while he tried to figure this whole mess out.   
  


"No, I'm not sure." He turned hard eyes on the cop. "I was fucking knocked out, man. I don't KNOW shit!" He'd turned the hostility on and directed it full force at the insensitive man. "Why don't you go find someone who was conscious and ask them?"   
  
"Perhaps I should comeback when you're feeling better." The man stiffened visibly as he prepared to leave.   
  


"Don't bother. I won't miraculously know anymore than what I've already told you." Tryffin said tiredly and rubbed at his aching temples.   
  


"Was there anyone else with you and Shitahara-sama?" The officer who said he was leaving asked.   
  


"There were two men but they didn't like what Shita was planning so they left." Now why did he say that?   
  


"Who were they?"   
  


"I don't fucking know! Shita liked the way they looked, sent me to get them so he could screw them and that's all I know." He scowled at the bastard. "Weren't you leaving?"   
  


"Ah…just one more question. What do they look like?"   
  


Tryffin closed his eyes and thought about Ken's refreshing naiveté and Aya's exotic coldness and said, "One was a short brunette and the other a tall redhead. That's all I remember. They didn't really stand out as far as I was concerned."   
  
"Thank you, sir. I'll let you rest now. If you do remember anything else, please contact us." He did an impressive heel-clicking thing before he spun on his heels and marched away.   
  


"Damn! Where do they get these people?" Kouji asked as he watched the man disappear inside the squad car. He turned and smiled at Tryffin and ran his hand through the wild fiery locks. "I'm sorry, Tryf. I shouldn't have left ya."   
  


Tryffin shook his head and sighed. "You didn't know. Who did? Man, I knew Shitahara was into some shit but to actually get killed…and with me being there...it's just…shitty, ya know?" Tryffin peered up at Kouji and asked, "Where's the blond?"   
  


Kouji shrugged. "I don't know. After the last explosion, everyone was running around like chickens without heads and I guess he joined the crowd. They really should talk to these people about disaster management." Kouji sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I can't believe this! I told him his security sucked but he thought he was untouchable. This is unbelievable." Kouji mumbled in disbelief as he paced back and forth along the side of Tryffin's bed. "It's not like we were best friends but I've known him for years. I just can't believe he's gone."   
  


Tryffin pushed himself off the makeshift bed and sat up gingerly. His head still pounded painfully but the world wasn't spinning around anymore. He pulled Kouji to sit next to him and he held the older man close. Shitahara was never a favorite of Tryffin's but he knew that the man had helped Kouji start his business in security years ago and he knew that Kouji was fiercely loyal to Shitahara. Even to the point of denial when it came to Shitahara's dubious behaviors in his club.   
  


As they sat huddled together on the gurney, several reporters found them and Tryffin found himself answering questions as well as getting information from them. These guys knew a lot about the murders and were not unwilling to disclose anything especially when they thought it would help to loosen Tryffin's tongue.   
  


Shitahara and the Tweedle brothers were killed with a gun. One shot to the head each and two in the chest. Someone didn't want to take any chances. Tryffin didn't see Aya or Ken with a gun but it didn't mean they didn't have it hidden somewhere. Okay, Ken probably couldn't have had it on him but Aya did have a coat. Still…his instinct told him that they couldn't have been the killers… Tryffin trusted his instincts; they had saved him numerous times before. When living on your wits, it was always good to trust your senses.   
  


When Tryffin swayed tiredly, Kouji held up his hands and asked the reporters to leave them alone. Tryffin looked up and saw that the men from Kouji's security team had arrived and were now pushing the reporters back. As they moved away, one turned back and yelled out a question.   
  


"Since you're a potential witness, aren't you afraid the killer might come back for you?"   
  


The man didn't get his answer. Kouji's men pushed him roughly across the street and didn't stop until they made sure he was in his van and driving away.   
  


Kouji turned to Tryffin with a serious look. "My men will be all over the place. No one's going to come within a mile of you that we don't know about."   
  


Tryffin smiled and nodded. If anyone could keep him safe, surely it was Kouji. Security WAS his forte.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  


The next day… _(Day Two – Late afternoon)  
  
_

"I don't fucking think so! I've been cooped up here all day!" Tryffin shouted at Kouji from the balcony of the bedroom on the second floor. Kouji glanced up from the side of his car and shook his head.   
  


"Look, Tryffin, until we can figure out who tried to kill you, you're not moving from this place."   
  
"No one tried to kill me!" Tryffin yelled. "So the fucking car blew up, it could have happened to anyone." Right?   
  


"Two days ago, maybe, but not after last night!" Kouji opened his car door and leaned against it. "When that guy hinted last night that there might be attempts on your life, we should have taken him seriously. My fault, not going to happen again!" He sat down in the driver seat and warned Tryffin one last time, "Do not leave the house. If you need to leave the room, my men will be with you. At all times…well maybe not the bathroom but have them check it before you get in."   
  


"Are you freaking serious? This is imprisonment! Is this even legal?" Tryffin yelled ineffectively at the door of the car as Kouji waved and slammed it closed. "I don't fucking believe this!"   
  


He marched back into the bedroom and headed straight for the door. Tryffin yanked it open and sure enough, two of Kouji's most trusted men were just outside it. Mako was across the hall, facing the bedroom door while Riki was standing right next to it, facing Mako. Tryffin shivered involuntarily as the scene eerily reminded him of Shitahara and the Tweedle brothers. He felt bad about the dead bodyguards. He'd called them that for so long he couldn't even remember what their real names were.   
  


"What's up, Tryffin?" Mako asked. The large man in dark blue shirt and khaki pants raised his eyebrows at the redhead.   
  


"Don't you guys have better things to do?" Tryffin asked them irritably.   
  


"Nope." Riki, who was dressed the same way, said with a little smile.   
  


"C'mon, Tryffin, let the boss find out more about what happened to the car. If it's just false alarm, he'll be back soon. If not, we're here to make sure nothing else happens." Mako said calmly then pulled out his walkie-talkie and went into series of perimeter checks with the men around the compound. There were a lot of grounds to cover since the house itself was set in the middle of 10 acres of heavily forested land. Kouji had affectionately dubbed his abode, the Bandit Hideout. The fact that the name was hardly appropriate for the head of security of the largest firm in Japan didn't faze Kouji. He said that it was inspired by his childhood dream and even designed series of ponds, creeks and rock formations to match his visions.   
  


"Why bother?" Tryffin was well aware that he was whining at this point but he didn't care. "The police left hours ago, let THEM figure it out."   
  


"You know the boss." Riki said. "He wants to make sure the police didn't miss anything. If they did and we're not on top of it, you could end up dead."   
  
"Fine! Whatever! I'm gonna go get dinner." Tryffin said unhappily and walked passed the two men toward the stairs.   
  


"As long as you know that dinner is in the house, no problem." Mako said quietly as he and Riki walked after Tryffin.   
  


"This is SO fucking lame!" Tryffin mumbled as he headed towards the kitchen. Luckily he didn't have to cook his own dinner, Kouji has a kitchen staff that was well verse with all kinds of cuisines. At least his meals won't be a disaster, Tryffin thought as he told the cook what he wanted for dinner.   
  


The rest of the evening took the same tune; Tryffin whined and moped about the place while the two men shadowed him and checked perimeters. He shuffled off to his room and slammed the door at the two men guarding him. When Tryffin was done making a face at the closed door, there came a knock.   
  


"Who is it?" He asked.   
  


"It's me, Mako."   
  


"How do I know that?" Tryffin asked flippantly.   
  


"Tryffin…" Came Riki's warning tenor.

"No, really. How do I know that you didn't kill off the real Mako and Riki and are now impersonating them?"   
  


"We have the keys, Tryffin, don't make us use it." Riki warned again.   
  


Tryffin had to admit that they hadn't invaded his privacy so far. They had always knocked before entering or waited patiently for Tryffin to let them in. Tryffin was sure, however that had they suspected foul play, they wouldn't hesitate to break down the door…they were both big enough to do just that.   
  


"Oh, fine! What now?" He snatched open the door and stood aside while Riki remained by the door and Mako did a swift but efficient sweep of the room and balcony. "Satisfied?" He asked.   
  


"All clear, here." Mako said into the walkie-talkie and nodded to Riki. The big man smiled apologetically at Tryffin and walked out the door.   
  


"Hey, guys." Tryffin called the men and they turned to look at him, their expressions carefully neutral as they anticipated more abuse.   
  


"Thanks." Tryffin said softly before closing the door. He could be a jerk but he knew that it wasn't their fault he was house arrested. He would hate to think that while they were protecting him, they might get hurt and he hadn't shown them how much he'd appreciated their efforts. He wondered how many times Shitahara had said thank you to the Tweedle brothers. None, he would guess. It just wasn't something the man would do.   
  


Tryffin didn't want to be like Shitahara.   
  


He shuddered as he remembered their last moments together. He shook his head and wished that Bombay guy had drugged him earlier, preferably before he'd let Shitahara fuck him. He could still feel the guy…   
  
Yikes! Tryffin shuddered almost violently and rubbed at his arms. He got out of his clothes and hopped into a hot shower and scrubbed vigorously. He visualized all of Shitahara's touches as dirty patches on his skin and as he washed himself, the clean water carried them away down into the drain. It was a water cleansing technique that he'd learn from a friend and he'd find it most effective. When he felt much better, Tryffin turned off the water and stepped out of the stall. He looked around the room and rolled his eyes. He didn't bring his change of clothes. He grabbed the towel and walked out of the bathroom, toweling himself along the way.   
  


Tryffin came to an abrupt halt when a very sharp tip of a mean looking katana nearly pierced his throat.   
  


"Make a sound and the two men outside die."   
  


Tryffin followed the katana to the man holding it and took in a sharp breath. Cold violet eyes studied him dispassionately, waiting to see what he'd do.   
  


Tryffin swallowed and nodded. The fact that he was completely naked except for the towel he was drying his hair with completely slipped his mind. Aya…   
  


"I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions." Aya said quietly. He motioned with his katana for Tryffin to go back into the bathroom. Tryffin did silently and Aya followed close behind.   
  


Tryffin barely managed to wrap the small towel around his waist when he heard Aya closed the bathroom door. He turned to see the man leaning against it as the violet eyes appraised him coolly. One scarlet brow rose mockingly when Aya saw Tryffin's hands clenching around the tiny towel.   
  


"Nothing I haven't seen." Aya commented dryly.   
  


Tryffin colored and cleared his throat. "Well…this, you know, it's not the same thing." He looked around the room and reach for another towel but before he could pull it off the rack, a strong, slender hand gripped his wrist and held it down.   
  


Tryffin looked at Aya questioningly and the taller redhead smirked. "I prefer you this way. It's always good for the prey to be at a disadvantage."   
  


Prey? "I thought you weren't here to hurt me." Tryffin said.   
  


"I'm not." Aya let go of Tryffin's wrist and took a step back. He continued to watch Tryffin as if trying to determine what made the other man tick. "Why are you helping us?"   
  


"I don't know what you mean."   
  
"I think you do." Aya's piercing eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why were you withholding information from the police?"   
  


"Did you kill them?" Tryffin countered.   
  


"No." Aya said quietly. "But you didn't know that. So…why?" Aya watched him intently and Tryffin felt as if the man had jumped into his mind and was wading through his muddled thoughts.   
  


"I don't know." Tryffin shrugged. It was true. At the time he really didn't know that Aya and Ken weren't the murderers, but he followed his gut instinct that told him they were safe. Even now, with the wicked looking katana, Aya didn't feel like a threat to him. Had Aya wanted him dead, why was the man talking to him? "Do you know who killed them?" He asked in return.   
  


Aya was quiet for so long that Tryffin thought he wasn't going to answer him. "The same people who're trying to kill you."   
  
"Duh! No shit?" Tryffin snorted.   
  


Aya ignored his sarcasm and continued, "The accountant is saying that Ken and I killed your friend. Personally I don't care what anyone thinks but there are…people working with me who feel otherwise. It's a matter of principles, I suppose, to clear our name." Here Aya paused as if he didn't want to say the next part. "You seem to feel that we are innocent, is it because you have an idea who did it?"   
  
Tryffin smirked. "Are you asking for my help?"   
  


Aya's eyes narrowed. "No. We are quite capable of solving the mystery. If you are helpful, however, my colleagues may feel more inclined to keep you alive."   
  
"What do you mean? I thought you weren't trying to kill me." Tryffin took a step back and hit the wall.   
  


"Not yet." Aya said. "We have about 24 hours to prove that YOU didn't have anything to do with the deaths."   
  
"WHAT!?!" Tryffin shouted and slapped a hand over his mouth. Almost immediately there was knocking at the door.   
  


Aya was instantly alert and Tryffin made shushing motion with his finger. He squeezed pass Aya and open the bathroom door a fraction. "It's okay, boys, I nearly slipped in the tub, that's all. Go back to your playboy magazine, okay?"   
  


He listened a few moments more then closed the door and turned to Aya. The man was watching him curiously and Tryffin became aware that they were pressed together rather intimately when he poked his head out the door.   
  


"Um…bodyguards…" He told Aya lamely and tried to maneuver himself back into his corner. Unfortunately his body didn't want to go anywhere else, Aya was as sexy as he had remembered and SOME parts of his anatomy had responded to the proximity of the man.   
  


Aya didn't seem to want him to go far either since the man grabbed hold of his towel and pulled him even closer. When Tryffin was flush against the taller man, he could feel Aya's erection pressing against his own. Tryffin was mildly surprised since none of Aya's expressions had indicated any interest…well not tonight at any rate.   
  


"They're not very good." Aya whispered against Tryffin's ear. "If I'd wanted to kill you, you would have been dead." Aya gave Tryffin's towel a quick tuck and the small piece of material fell to the floor. The tall redhead's hands had moved around to cup Tryffin's ass and pulled him even closer as their arousals rubbed against each other. "I think I'd rather do something else though." Aya whispered and nibbled gently at Tryffin's ear.   
  


"Ah…now?" Tryffin's breath caught in his throat as Aya drove his tongue in his ear.   
  


Aya didn't answer but turned Tryffin around to lean over the counter top. Tryffin watched Aya in the reflection of the large bathroom mirror. Their eyes met and Tryffin swore that he was instantly twice as hard. Aya moved behind the shorter man and spread Tryffin's legs far apart. Tryffin moaned in anticipation, he had wanted this man from the first moment he had set eyes on him. He could hardly breathe as he waited for Aya to fuck him.   
  


"Condom." Tryffin was stunned that he still had the present of mind to think about safe sex. He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a packet and handed it to Aya along with the tube of lube. The taller redhead took the condom and put it down on the counter then he flipped the cap off the lube and squeezed some onto his fingers.   
  


Tryffin held his breath as the cool, slick digit rubbed against his opening and he lifted one leg over the counter to give Aya better access. Moaning softly, he thrust down as two fingers entered him and twisted deep inside. Tryffin tossed his head back and Aya bend forward, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss. The fingers continued to pump in and out of him making Tryffin tremble with sheer pleasure.   
  


"Aya?"   
  


Aya froze and both men held their breaths.   
  


"Aya, are you in there?" A soft voice hissed on the other side of the bathroom door.   
  


Aya pulled his fingers out of Tryffin and wiped his hand on one of the towels hanging in the room before casually straightening out his clothes. Tryffin groaned at the interruption and swiftly wrapped the dropped towel around his waist. He was slightly irritated that the tall redhead didn't look the least bit ruffled. They could have just been talking about the weather judging by the taller man's expression. Aya scrutinized Tryffin's towel and raised his brows at him before handing him a bigger towel. Tryffin snatched it from the man and wrapped it around himself before yanking the door opened.   
  


Ken fell into the bathroom and crashed into Aya with an audible 'Oof'.   
  


"Er…sorry." Ken pushed himself off the taller man and flushed becomingly. He turned to Tryffin and then to Aya and his face redden even further. "You're not…I mean, you aren't… Oh, crap!" He turned to Aya and smacked the taller man's arm repeatedly. "What the hell is the matter with you? Do you have to fuck everyone?"   
  
Aya narrowed his eyes and said, "Not everyone."   
  


Aw man! Tryffin cringed at the comment; THAT was cold. From the look on Ken's face, Tryffin would hazard a guess that Aya was definitely not fucking Ken. But wait a minute…weren't they a couple? Was Aya in the doghouse because of him the other night? Ken was pretty pissed at the club...   
  


"My fault." Tryffin said quickly. "This was NOT Aya's idea. This is the only place I can have some privacy from my bodyguards. Aya didn't want to come in here, honest. I practically had to seduce him to get him to…"   
  
"I seriously doubt that." Ken rolled his eyes and gave the tall man a withering look. "Never mind. Kouji's coming. We have to go."   
  


"Wait, wait…how the hell do you know Kouji? And how the hell did you get in here?"   
  


"I told you. Your security sucks." Aya told Tryffin absently, his eyes were still on the flushed brunette. "You shouldn't risk coming up here. Why didn't you use the communicator?" Aya gave the brunette a hard look and Tryffin could see Ken winced.   
  


"Er…well…you remember the koi pond? You know, the one you told me not to fall into?" Ken shuffled his feet and looked anywhere but at Aya.   
  


"Ken…" Aya sighed as he watched Ken and Tryffin could see a look of tenderness flashed briefly across his face. Tryffin felt a warm feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Aside from their strange behaviors and whatever problems these two may have, there was no doubt in Tryffin's mind that Aya loved Ken. Now if he could only figure out what the hell kind of relationship they had…   
  


"Who ARE you? Do you break into high security places just for kicks?" He looked from Ken to Aya as if trying to determine who would tell him the truth.   
  


"High security? Don't make me laugh." Ken looked like he was about to do just that when he caught sight of Aya's cold, no-nonsense eyes and cleared his throat. "Um…we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you." Ken told him seriously.   
  


"Ken…" Aya gave the brunette an irritated look before turning to Tryffin. "We didn't kill the three men at the club, that's all you need to know." Meaning they killed someone else… Tryffin wasn't sure THAT was a comforting statement at all.   
  


The two men turned to leave and Tryffin reached out and grabbed Aya's arm. "Wait! Kouji is trying to find the culprit. Why don't you work with him…with us?"   
  


Ken watched Aya silently as the tall redhead stared at Tryffin. "We don't need him." Aya said coldly.   
  


Jerk! "Yeah, well Mr. High and mighty, we don't need you either!"   
  


"Really." Aya looked almost amused. Almost. "You're very lucky Ken and I are not here to kill you. Tell your boyfriend to quit his day job. He's not very good at it."   
  
Tryffin sputtered in outrage and swung at Aya's arrogant face. His fist never made contact. Ken had intercepted his assault and now held his wrist in a vice grip.   
  


"Um…if you two lovebirds are done, we have to get going." Ken released Tryffin and looked at his watch impatiently.   
  


"How can you say that? What the hell kind of a boyfriend ARE you?" Tryffin wanted to know.   
  


"What the hell kind of a boyfriend is HE? He's been around the block more times than the local harlot!" Ken hissed as quietly as was physically possible.   
  


"Well if you would GIVE him some, he won't be looking around."   
  


"What? Eew! That is so gross!" Ken shivered and glared at Tryffin, completely missing the pained look that flashed across Aya's face. "We're not like that!" Ken hissed again. When he saw Tryffin's unconvinced look, he threw up his hands and stalked out the bathroom mumbling about having no time for this kind of crap. Tryffin watched Aya school his expression back to nothingness and felt sorry for the man. For all of Aya's aloofness, the man was really hurting. Why couldn't Ken see that?

Aya and Tryffin followed Ken onto the balcony and watched the brunette pick up a wire of some kind that was draped across the railing. It seemed to be attached to the tree about twenty feet or so away. Ken turned and gave Tryffin a nod before swinging on the wire to a tree. The wire was tossed back and Aya grabbed onto it then turned to Tryffin and said, "Stay alive." Then he too was gone. Tryffin stared into the darkness and shivered. So much for Kouji's tight security; he was going to have a serious talk with that man.   
  


By the time Kouji came into the bedroom, Tryffin was still undressed and waiting naked on the bed. He was lying on his stomach with his legs slightly parted and his ass a good six inches off the bed. What Tryffin didn't expect however was that Kouji would have someone with him.   
  


"Aw hell…" Kouji sounded unusually constipated.   
  


"Perhaps I should wait outside."   
  
Tryffin froze at the unfamiliar voice then scrambled to cover himself. He dove under the safety of the blankets and shoved his head under the pillow. What the hell was Kouji doing with another guy? Surely he didn't expect a threesome?   
  


"Tryffin." Kouji called, his voice had regained some of its normal tone. When Tryffin didn't move, he slapped the redhead's buttocks sharply and called again. "Don't tell me you're shy all of a sudden. Although I'd have to say that this is the first time I've seen you greet a guest…er…in the buff."   
  


Tryffin mumbled under the pillow but still refused to come up for air. This had to be one of the most humiliating moments of his life. Yeah…right next to getting caught giving his foster father a blowjob…   
  


Kouji laughed and patted Tryffin's rump again. "Okay, buddy, we'll be in my office. Get dressed and meet us there. This is important, Tryf, it could save your life. Be there!"   
  
Tryffin came out from under his cover when he heard the door closed. Fuck, he was going to have to face the stranger? Damn, this was so not cool!   
  


He got dressed in record time, and was marching with his head held high into Kouji's office not 5 minutes later. His black turtleneck sweater and black pants contrasted marvelously with his bright hair. Black was also a power color and Tryffin found comfort in that after the disastrous first meeting.   
  


Kouji's office was spacious with bookshelves lining three walls. Kouji's desk was by the window, the only side of the room without bookshelves. As Tryffin came into the room he noticed a tall, lean man pulling the curtains closed. The man had short brown hair and also dressed completely in black. Tryffin grimaced; so much for wearing power color.   
  


"Tryf!" Kouji called to him with a smile and the stranger turned toward him.   
  


And Tryffin froze in his tracks.   
  


He gaped at the man standing slightly behind Kouji's chair. The man had a slight frown on his face as he regarded the redhead. His expression was mild if not somewhat irritated and it looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here with them. But it was none of these facts that had stopped Tryffin's heart. What nearly floored him was the fact that the man was wearing an eye patch. Tryffin blinked dazedly at the man and turned confused eyes to Kouji.   
  


He'd found Patch…Kouji had found Patch.   
  


"I know!" Kouji smiled and beckoned Tryffin over. "I thought he looked familiar too and I was right. He was the guy at the Ginza that day." Kouji pulled the numbed Tryffin against him and turned to face Patch. "Well, this is your charge. This is Tryffin."   
  


Nani? Tryffin pushed against Kouji and looked at the man uncomprehendingly. "Charge? What charge?"   
  


"Ah…Ceilen here is the best in the business. He's the number one choice in high profile security and he's agreed to protect you until we could find out who's behind all this."   
  


Number one choice…Kouji made it sound like they were selecting meat for dinner.   
  


"But I thought security was YOUR forte. I thought you said we don't need the police or anyone else." Tryffin asked his lover placidly.   
  


Kouji sighed and nodded. "I know I said those thing but after spending a few hours with the police looking into this, we found that it's much more complicated that we first thought. There are people we don't even want to touch let alone accuse them of murder. It's going to take time and until then, the police commissioner recommended Ceilen highly."   
  
Tryffin looked over to Pat…Ceilen and nodded to the man. "Nice to meet you but honestly, if you're Kouji's choice, then I'd have to say 'thanks but no thanks'." Ceilen didn't move a muscle. He didn't twitch, didn't look away, and didn't even acknowledge that Tryffin had spoken. The man just stared at him then turned to speak to Kouji.   
  


"The location is not secure. There are too many security breaches here." Ceilen said emotionlessly to Kouji.   
  


Tryffin wanted to laugh out loud at the expression on his lover's face. THAT couldn't have sat well with Kouji. He was the head of security after all. To be told that your own house had security problems was like getting hit below the belt.   
  


"That's what Aya said!" Tryffin smirked at his lover. "Which reminds me." He jabbed a finger at Kouji's chest. "While I was in the shower, with YOUR men standing guard, two men snuck into my room and if they were the killers, I would have been dead. If he's anything like your men, I don't see how that's going to help me."   
  


"What are you talking about?" Kouji frowned.   
  


Tryffin was aware that Ceilen's attention was fixed on his every word and he suddenly felt self-conscious. "Well, I…you know the two men that Shitahara had me go get? Well, they were here tonight, they left right before you came back."   
  


"What? Did they hurt you? What did they want?" Kouji looked Tryffin up and down worriedly.   
  


"I'm fine. They didn't want to hurt me." He reassured Kouji and sneaked a glance at the Ceilen who was doing a pretty damn good imitation of a statue. "They wanted to know if we have any information on the killer. Apparently Tako had told the police that he thinks they did it and they wanted to clear their names. Sounds pretty reasonable to me."   
  


"Why not go to the police and tell their side of the story?" Ceilen asked yet managed to look like he didn't care. "Why come here?"   
  


Tryffin shrugged and looked away. Even with his power sweater and pants on, Ceilen had managed to make Tryffin feel completely naked and vulnerable. He wasn't sure he liked that no matter how sexy the man was.   
  


Nani? The man was NOT sexy! Tryffin sneaked another sideways glance at Ceilen and swallowed. Yep, the man sure as hell was sexy.   
  


"My men are not laxed, no matter what you say. They are some of the best in the business." He told Ceilen with a frown. "The fact that these men could break through my security meant that they're professionals. What the hell were they doing in the Rabid and what the hell are they up to now?"   
  


"I don't need your men, I work alone. If that cannot be agreed on, I cannot take the case."   
  


Damn, the man was stiff. Tryffin wondered who starched his underwear.   
  


"What are you suggesting?" Kouji asked wearily.   
  


"Wait a minute…" Tryffin started but Kouji raised a hand to silence him as the older man stared at Ceilen.   
  


"I'm not suggesting." Ceilen said. "Tryffin comes with me. No one, not even you will know where he'll be."   
  


"Wait a minute…" Tryffin started again to be completely ignored by both men as they faced each other.   
  


"I don't think that's necessary." Kouji's voice had dropped a few degrees and Tryffin silently cheered his lover.   
  


"Who knew Tryffin was going to Asakusa? Who knew he was driving the Porsche instead of his usual car?" Ceilen asked blandly. "It appears that your security is much more compromised than you believe."   
  
Kouji paled and remained silent. Tryffin's heart sank. It was true. He had snuck out using the spare car and going out the service exit. No one even knew he was gone. He made sure he wasn't followed; it was a game he played many times before with Kouji's men. He was very sure no one followed him…   
  
"A tracking device." Kouji said softly. He looked disgusted with himself and Tryffin moved closer to the older man. "Who?"   
  


"He comes with me." Ceilen said in a tone that bode no argument.   
  


"Wait a minute here." Tryffin finally get his sentence in. "I'm NOT going anywhere with you! I don't even know you. You could be the guy they hired to kill me."   
  
As soon as Tryffin said that he knew it was a mistake. He didn't have time to react when he found Ceilen behind him and holding him in an inescapable chokehold.   
  


"I wouldn't waste my time talking if I had wanted to kill you." Ceilen said softly into his ear but Tryffin hardly noticed it. The man's exotic scent filled him and he was suddenly hit with an acute sense of nostalgia. Tryffin nearly fell when Ceilen released him and he grabbed on to a nearby chair for support. Kouji was next to him in an instant but Tryffin shook his helping hand away. Where the hell was the man when the psycho attacked him?   
  


"Your call." Ceilen said to Kouji.   
  


"No! It's MY call." Tryffin straightened up and face the man. "It's MY life." He turned to Kouji who looked unsure of what to do. Tryffin felt bad, he couldn't leave the man. Kouji would feel as if he'd failed. Tryffin could not desert him now.   
  


Yet the prospect of going with Ceilen sent thrills down his spine and his whole body hummed with excitement. He gave the one-eyed man a sidelong glance and felt his chest tightened. The man was watching him with a carefully shuttered expression. Tryffin couldn't tell what the man was thinking or hoping. Was the man hoping that Tryffin would refuse? Or that Tryffin would come with him? What would it be like to be alone with Ceilen?   
  


What was he expected to do? What did he WANT to do?   
  


Tryffin looked from one man to another then said firmly to Ceilen, "I'm staying."   
  
Ceilen's eyes narrowed briefly before he looked to Kouji and said, "I'm leaving." He didn't wait for anyone to answer him but turned on his heels and walked out the door.   
  


Tryffin felt suddenly empty. He unconsciously pressed a hand to his chest and frowned at the dull ache that was slowly growing inside of him. What was this feeling and why was the thought of never seeing Ceilen again made his heart sink. Why did he suddenly have the urge to rush after the man and tell him to stay?   
  


Tryffin closed his eyes and dismally wished that he had kept his mouth shut. Maybe then Ceilen would have taken him away and he wouldn't feel this unexplainable sense of loss.   
  


Maybe if he could just get Ceilen out of his system, he could go back to the way he was…   
  


Maybe…   
  
  


TBC… 


	3. Of Past Deeds and Present Doubts

**_Author's Notes and Warnings:_** Hi, minna! Wow, I've just posted the WK section two weeks ago and here I am done with this chapter already! I must say I love writing this chapter very much and I hope you like reading it too! Please let me know what you think of Ceilen and Tryffin! *hugs Chichiri then glances nervously at the growling Tasuki* Um..gomen… *moves quickly away from the kawaii monk*   
  


I really hope I can produce future chapters as quickly but baka me went and posted a GW fic so now I have 3 stories up at the same time. *sighs* But I'm glad I did. It was sitting in my computer too long, no da!   
  


**_* SPECIAL Notes for people who don't read the WK section:_**_ Read it. (just kidding) Ceilen is discovered to be an ex agent of Kritiker, an elite crime fighting organization. His code name was Peregrine and he left them 8 years ago because he'd found some high level corruption. Manx is from that organization and had just asked the Weiss boys to help out Ceilen.   
  
_

This chapter contains bad language, slight lime and incredibly hot bishounens. Enjoy!   
  


Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter as well as the WK section!   
  


**Kren:** Thank you!

**Kaji The Harlequin:** Confused? Sorry! If you need help in clarifying anything, please email me and I'll be more than happy to explain them to you. Thank you!

**Kawaii:** *nods sympathetically* I have the same problem with FF.net, no da! Wai! Thank you! Aya and Ken are great and I'm so glad you like them!

**Shadow Priestess:** This chapter contains lots of Chichiri, no da! ((hugs)) thank you!

**Shadow Myst:** LOL, thank you very, very, very much!

**Baka-chan:** LOL, thanks for chasing the evil flamer for me! ((hugs)) I guess the combination of you and Wufei is too much for the guy, huh? Arigatou, no da!

**Lola:** *hugs Lola right back* Thank you! Ooooh, I love this Chichiri too! As for the bishies going stir crazy…I'm afraid this is just the beginning! *cackles madly*

**Ayako**: LOL, yeah, I think two redheads would be a bit much in a relationship, ne? But they do make a pretty mental picture. Thank you!

**Krysana:** *Giggles* Ken WILL give Ran some…just not yet, ne? Not enough torture. *lol* Thank you for all you comments and mails! But most of all, thanks for the cool pics to fuel my imagination, ne? (((((HUGS))))

**Hcbenitez:** LOL, better than a sugar high? Aw…*blushes* Thank you!

**Whisper Reilman:** Hai, hai, WK chapter is done, no da! Thank you for your wonderful comments! Makes me want to write a whole lot more, no da! And I'm writing as quickly as I can. *grins*

**Sakata:** LOL, I can see what you mean about the cat in heat thing…yeah, that's Tas-chan alright! *drools* Thanks!!!

**Midori Natari Himura:** *screams* I love the cold Chichiri too! And Ran, and Yuki, and Saitou, and…er…gomen, ne? I got carried away. But I do know what you mean! And I'm the other biggest sap alive so ALL the boys will get to snuggle later, ne? Thank you!

**Hana no Ceres:** Wai! Ceilen is scaring you? LOL, he's the good guy, no da! But that's okay, because he's pretty lethal… I'm still debating whether or not to do a full lemon for Ran and Tryffin and since I haven't decided, I had Ken interrupt them… What do you think? Lemon? No lemon?

**Xellas:** What can I say that I haven't said in our numerous emails? (((HUGS))) Thanks for everything, if this story is good, it's because of all your inputs, no da!!!!

**Mikazuki:** Heh, heh, heh, yeah…I do like torturing them… Well, I love to tease Tasuki anyway, the real tortures I usually reserve for Chichiri… I know, I'm horrible but he handles it so well… Thank you for your reviews!

**Keimei: **Answer: Yes, it's a reincarnation fic. I don't do AU except for the reincarnation stuff… I normally have them get this déjà vu thing, it adds to the emotional ties, in my opinion. I love predestined love stories… *sigh* Thank you!

**FireKat:** LOL, thank you! About Ran being er…promiscuous, I've read too many fics where, at 20, the boy is still a virgin. I'm sure 20 year-old virgins are not rare but have you SEEN Ran? The boy is HOT! Um, not that those fics weren't good; I just thought I'll let him have some fun for a change, that's all. Thank you so much for liking it!

**Ryo-chan:** *grins* Yep, you can bet your little tushie I'll make it up to Tas-chan! Thank you, sweety!

**GreenFire:** LOL, love your little song btw! I hope I haven't offended any redheads out there by portraying the two I have as…um…fun loving! Yeah, that's it! *giggles* Arigatou, no da!   
  


_Special thanks to Hitari-chan as always for betaing this chapter!_   
  


Now on to the story!   
  
  


**A Fine Line - FY:** Chapter 3 - _Of Past Deeds and Present Doubts_

By Moonraven   
  
_(Day 2 around midnight, immediately after Manx's discussion with Weiss and a while after Ceilen left Tryffin)_   
  


Manx walked out of the Koneko feeling tired and worn. She hoped that the men of Weiss would make the right decision. She knew they were good, conscientious men and had little doubt that they would carefully look into this mess. In a way, she was glad that they knew everything…well not everything, Kritiker was too large and too old for them to know all the secrets but this particular one was really taxing on her. It was a great relief to be able to share it with them.   
  


As she neared her car, Manx noticed a tall shadow falling across her path. Instinctively she felt for her gun and since the shadow remained still, she continued toward her car without drawing her weapon. When she reached her car, she walked towards the driver side, putting the car between her and whoever cast the shadow. She looked up and saw a man standing on top of the wall looking down at her. His back was to the bright street light, making his face obscured in the shadow. There was something familiar about the posture and the way the man felt. Manx was in this business long enough to sense an enemy, this man did not feel like an enemy.   
  


"What do you want?" She asked sharply. She didn't need to look around to know that the street was empty. It was late and around this area, people didn't move around so much at night.   
  


The man didn't answer but he dropped casually from the wall and landed easily on his feet. Manx narrowed her eyes and her hand tightened on the gun. She looked at the man then at the wall, it was easily a ten-foot drop, if not more and the man did it like it was nothing.   
  


"Who are you?" Manx asked.   
  


The man still didn't speak but he slowly walked into the light. Manx gasped and dropped her purse, weapons forgotten as she stared into the face of the man she'd never thought she'd see again.   
  


"Peregrine…" She whispered.   
  


The man smiled and held out a hand. "Kitada Hanae. You're all grown up." His voice was warm and gentle, just like she'd remembered.   
  


"Peregrine…" She said again and ran into his waiting arms. "Oh god, it really is you!" She clutched him to her and drank in the strength and power emanating from the man. "It's been so long. Why had you stayed away for so long?" She murmured into his hard chest.   
  


He held her gently until she pulled away to look up at his face. "God, Peregrine, you shouldn't be here." She moved out of his arms and looked around nervously.   
  


"Perimeter secure." He said softly, still smiling down at her. He gently brushed away a strand of red hair from her face and caressed her cheeks tenderly. "I'm sorry about Persia." His voice was quiet and his eye filled with sadness. "If I hadn't left…" His voice trailed away, not finishing his thoughts.   
  


"If you hadn't left, they would have killed you too." Manx said firmly. He cannot possibly take on the responsibility of Persia's death as well…his parents' death had taken too much out of him already.   
  


He smiled sadly at her then turned his gaze in the direction she'd come from. "Quite a litter of kitties you have there." He commented with a touch of amusement.   
  


Manx gasped and stared at Peregrine. "You know?"   
  


He gave her a look that clearly said he was insulted. "Abyssinian, Siberian, Balinese and Bombay." He recited softly; his eye glinted with amusement once again. "Mamoru is all grown up as well. All this is making me feel old, Kitada, very old." He sighed dramatically but his eye still held a hint of playfulness.   
  


Manx studied him for a long moment then she laughed and shook her head. "I should have known. I don't know why I should be surprised that you would keep an eye on us." She turned serious once again and frowned at him. "What are you doing, Peregrine? Why now? Why Tryffin?"   
  


Peregrine did not answer right away but continued to watch her. When he did speak, it was not to answer her question. "It's just Ceilen now, Kitada…or should I say Manx?"   
  


"I'm just Kitada to you, Ceilen. Manx is something that happened after you left. But I am Manx too."   
  


Ceilen nodded his understanding. In their business, it wasn't possible to separate the two identities; they were different aspects of the same person. He turned his attention back to the Koneko again, his features thoughtful. "Will they be sent after me?"   
  


"I don't know." Manx said. "I hope not, I'm kind of fond of them."   
  
Ceilen smiled. "I won't hurt them…much."   
  


"Ceilen, I'm serious! These kids are good but not only that; I know others will be sent after you…from some place else. From somewhere that can't be traced back to Kritiker."   
  


"I'm hurt." Ceilen clutched at his chest. "You've lost faith in me little Kitada!"   
  


Manx smiled and shoved at Ceilen playfully. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not so little anymore! And it's not that I'd lost faith, you DID say you were getting old." God, being with him again was like old times…like he hadn't left them. Manx could still see the young man who had covered for her when she screwed up a report. He was the best of them.   
  


"I said that seeing you and Mamoru all grown up is making me feel old. When I left, he was just a little kid and so were you!"   
  


Manx smiled up at the man she had worshiped all of her adolescent life. This was the man she aspired to be like, the man who had set so many standards that no one even came close to comparing. The man who never did anything without a reason.   
  


Peregrine was back and he was hiding something.   
  


"A lot of us were very upset when you left." She said, looking directly into his beautiful brown eye. "But we understood. I rooted for you all the way." She said with smile then it disappeared suddenly and her eyes went wide. "Oh god, Ceilen, I'm sorry about Kappa and the girl you guys were hiding."   
  


Ceilen looked away suddenly and Manx could see his jaw muscles clenching and unclenching. "I'm sorry, Ceilen, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."   
  


When Ceilen turned back to her, his face was composed. His eye was shuttered and a neutral mask was firmly in place when he said, "It's okay. I've learned to live with my mistake, ne? Involve no one."   
  


"Ceilen…"   
  


"Look, this one is mine. Don't bring anyone into this, not them, not you." He had leaned in close as he spoke and his fierce eye pinned her speechless to the spot. "Don't get involved." He said firmly and waited for her to consent.   
  


"Ceilen, what are you talking about?" Manx was not going to agree without knowing all the details. "Oh my god…Ceilen you're not the…" Manx took a deep breath and held it as she asked, "Ceilen, did you kill Shitahara?"   
  


Ceilen didn't speak but stared hard at her. "What if I said yes?"   
  
Manx took an involuntary step back, her mind numb. "Why? Are you finally going after the Syria faction themselves? Are you eliminating them one by one?"   
  


Ceilen cocked his head to one side as he continued to study her. "What does it matter? He was killing innocent people; YOU sent your little kittens in to finish him. Why does it matter if it was I who did it?"   
  


"It mattered because you left us. You're not an assassin anymore.  From what I could dig up of you, and I'm sure you allowed it, I know you're into protecting people now. Taking out their factories and screwing up their deals are not the same as eliminating them." Ceilen lifted an elegant brow at her comment. "Yes, I know about SOME of your activities…not a lot, you're very good at hiding them, Ceilen, that's why I can't believe you did this. You had no reason to…and the bodyguards? You've never killed anyone except the target, not even when they tried to kill you. Not even when they took out your eye!" Manx shook her head stubbornly. "I refuse to believe it!"   
  


Ceilen smiled at her and shook his head. "You haven't changed one bit. You're the one who thought I killed Shitahara and now you're arguing against yourself."  He shook his head again.  "I didn't do it, Kitada but this one is still mine. Don't get involved, and don't send your boys. You don't want them to get hurt." He said the last sentence softy, his eye boring into hers.   
  


Manx glared at him. "Are you threatening us, Peregrine?" Her chilly voice was low and serious as she switched back to his code name.   
  


Ceilen sighed and shook his head again. "No, Manx." He said HER code name clearly, leaving no doubt that they were in mission mode. "The threat is not from me. Stay away." He took several steps back, his eye never leaving her face. "I don't want you or Mamoru hurt." Then without facing away from her, he jumped back up on the wall and stood looking down at her. Manx gasped in astonishment, not understanding how he did that. _He wasn't even looking where he was going…   
  
"It's good to see you again, Kitada Hanae." He said softly before he ran off along the top of the wall and disappeared into the night.   
  
_

"God, it's damn good to see you too, Ceilen…" Manx whispered back. "Damn good."   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


"Kouji, come to bed." Tryffin called irritably from the bed to his lover who was pacing back and forth on the balcony. He knew Kouji was still upset that two men had sneaked in and out of his domain without so much as a dog barking but he didn't know how to make Kouji feel better. The fact that someone had gotten close enough to Tryffin to plant a tracking device didn't help his lover's mood either.   
  


"Damn it!" Kouji muttered angrily as he slammed the cell phone shut and stepped into the bedroom. He ran a hand across his tired eyes and through his thick dark hair and sighed. "Where the hell is he?"   
  


"Who?" Tryffin asked as he lifted the blanket and patted the bed next to him.   
  


Kouji did not speak but got out of his robe and slipped between the sheets next to the redhead.   
  


"Who were you trying to call?" Tryffin didn't like what he was suspecting. Kouji couldn't be trying to call…Ceilen?   
  


Kouji turned to face Tryffin and lifted a hand to trace the younger man's jaw line delicately. "How long have we been together, Tryf?" Kouji asked him quietly.   
  


Tryffin shrugged. "Three, four years?" He frowned at the seriousness in Kouji's demeanor.   
  


Kouji smiled. "I still remember the cocky teen who tried to proposition me. Look at how he's grown." Kouji pulled Tryffin towards him for a lingering kiss. Then Kouji pulled away gently and caressed Tryffin's lips with his thumb. "I'd like to see that teen grow even older, Tryffin. I don't want him to get hurt because I can't protect him."   
  


Tryffin pushed the older man away angrily. It was the same shit again. He wasn't some damsel in distress that needed constant watching. He was twenty-one years old, for god's sakes! "I don't want to hear this shit, now, Kouji, I mean it! You've been spouting it for hours. Ever since he left!"   
  


Kouji sighed and got up. He swung his feet onto the floor with his back to Tryffin. "I can't help it, Tryf." Kouji's voice was hard. "My men and I are good at what we do, at our level. This is some international shit that I've never wanted to come near and now it's staring me right in the face!" He ran a hand through his tousled hair again and got up. He turned to face the younger man and Tryffin could see the fear on Kouji's normally carefree face. "These people fucking take out the House members and nothing can touch them. You think we have a chance facing opponents like that? I don't want you to get hurt."   
  


Tryffin got off the bed and came up to Kouji, not minding that he was completely naked. "I don't want to get hurt either but I trust you more than I do that guy." Even as he said the words, Tryffin wasn't sure that it was true. He wasn't sure of anything when it came to Ceilen and that irritated him more than anything. He hated himself for wanting to go with the guy, eventhough if in the end he had chosen to stay with Kouji.   
  


Kouji pulled Tryffin against him and buried his face in the younger man's fiery hair. "I don't trust me." He murmured into Tryffin's hair.   
  


At that moment, Kouji's cell phone rang and the men broke apart, Kouji going for the phone while Tryffin sat down on the bed looking wary.   
  


"Yeah." Kouji said tiredly into the phone, then his face lit up. "Where are you…WHAT?!?" Kouji grabbed his robe and rushed out onto the balcony, looking around frantically. Tryffin frowned and pulled the blanket around him before following Kouji outside.   
  


"I don't fucking believe it!" Kouji was saying into the phone as he continued to scan the darkness around the house. Tryffin pulled the blanket tighter around him and looked out into the trees as well.   
  


"What's going on?" Tryffin asked and Kouji turned sharply toward him.   
  


"What the hell are you doing out here?" Kouji hissed fiercely as he shoved the redhead back into the bedroom. "Stay clear of the windows." Kouji instructed before turning to the balcony once more.   
  


But before Kouji could go back out, a figure immerged from the darkness and landed softly on the balcony.   
  


Tryffin could have sworn his heart stopped. Then it started again, beating at a rate that Tryffin had never experienced.   
  


Ceilen stood staring at them silently, his long black coat billowing gently in the night breeze. The man was almost shrouded in darkness, his expression made even more dangerous by the dark eye patch. Tryffin couldn't help the way his heart wanted to jump out of his chest and his body tingled with excitement at the sight of the man. He hated it yet he was thrilled by it at the same time. He was really fucked up.   
  


"I…was looking for you." Kouji told Ceilen quietly.   
  


Ceilen nodded but didn't say anything.   
  


"Kouji…" Tryffin tugged at his lover's robe.   
  


Ceilen's single eye slid to Tryffin and the redhead gulped audibly, his protest to Kouji completely forgotten. The mysterious Ceilen moved into the bedroom and slid the glass door shut. He then turned and drew the curtain. "You really should stay away from open windows." He told the two men as he turned to face them.   
  


"Have you changed your mind?" Ceilen asked Tryffin, his expression gave nothing away. The man was inscrutable eventhough Tryffin prided himself in his ability to read people.   
  


"…No." He said uncertainly. He glanced at Kouji and his lover was frowning at him.   
  


"Yes." Kouji said firmly. "I'm paying, so I'm the client. He goes."   
  
"Nani??" Tryffin shouted at his lover causing the men on the other side to pound on the door.   
  


Kouji yelled reassurance to his men and turned back to Tryffin. "I trust him." Kouji said simply. "This is for the best." He walked up to the redhead and pulled Tryffin to him. "While I know you're safe, I can do some digging and put whoever it is that killed Shitahara behind bars." Kouji bent down and kissed Tryffin softly. "I can't do that if I worry about you."   
  


"But...but…" Tryffin tried to protest but he knew he was out numbered.   
  


Kouji turned to face Ceilen who was watching them silently. "What are you going to do?"   
  


"He comes with me. No calls, no contacts, no exceptions. When everything is over, I'll return him here. Until then, he doesn't exist." The man said impassively, as if he was reciting something for the millionth time. Tryffin had to wonder if THAT wasn't the case. If he was really that good, maybe he had done this a million times…   
  


"When are you leaving?" Kouji tightened his hold on Tryffin and Ceilen narrowed his eye.   
  


"Now."   
  


"What?" This was from Tryffin. "I have to pack…" Tryffin stopped short when Ceilen shook his head.   
  


"Whadda ya mean, 'no'?" Tryffin scowled at the one-eyed wonder.   
  


"You're taking nothing with you." He pulled off his long coat and tossed it at Tryffin who caught it with an indignant yelp when he nearly dropped his blanket.   
  


"Wear this until we can get you supplies. I'll not risk taking any devices with us." Ceilen told the redhead sternly.   
  


"You're a fucking nut case, do you know that?" Tryffin said sourly. He looked pointedly at Ceilen, wanting the man to turn around but Ceilen stared at him coldly, not moving.   
  


"Fine!" Tryffin huffed and dropped the blanket giving both Kouji and Ceilen an eyeful. Kouji groaned and shook his head at his spitfire lover while Ceilen flicked his eye down Tryffin's body coolly. When the eye came back up to Tryffin's amber ones, it clearly showed boredom.   
  


Tryffin seethed as he pulled on the long black coat. All murderous thoughts disappeared instantly as he was surrounded by the achingly familiar scent on the coat. Unconsciously, he pulled the collar over his face and inhaled deeply. The subtle sensation of nostalgia enveloped his senses, making him feel like he was home, safe and utterly loved.  Something else tugged gently at the back of his mind and Tryffin tried to grasp it but before he could identify the feeling, it eluded him again. Frowning at the mystery, he looked up and caught the icy brown eye watching him. _Shit. Now he's gonna think I'm sniffin' his clothes._ Tryffin groaned at the thought but unconsciously pulled the coat more securely around his naked frame.  
  


When he was done buttoning up, he spread his arms wide and turned to Kouji. "How do I look?" He asked, smiling broadly at his lover.   
  


"Ridiculous." Kouji told him with a shake of his head. "Be careful, kiddo."   
  


"Yeah, you too." Tryffin said and swallowed a lump in his throat. He had never thought that it would come to this.   
  


They looked as though they wanted to do more but Ceilen hadn't budged and was still watching them from a few feet away. Finally Ceilen turned and went to the French window and pulled the curtain open slightly. He peered outside and waited discretely while the two men said their good byes.   
  


Tryffin's lips lingered on Kouji's and he slipped his hand between the folds of the older man's robe and gave Kouji's cock a firm squeeze. "Don't forget me." He whispered against the other man's mouth.   
  


"Not fucking likely." Kouji said as he pressed his growing arousal into Tryffin's hand.   
  


"Ahem."   
  


They broke apart guiltily and found Ceilen frowning at them disapprovingly.   
  


"Er…sorry." Kouji muttered and pushed Tryffin in Ceilen's direction, smacking the redhead's bottom for good measure.   
  


Tryffin rubbed his rear and threw a wicked grin at his lover. "Think of me tonight while you take care of that little problem, okay?" He looked pointedly at Kouji's crotch and winked.   
  


Ceilen's frown was still in place when he slipped through the curtain, pulling Tryffin with him. Tryffin was surprised to find that the man had opened the glass window. When the hell had that happened?   
  


"Um…why aren't we using the door?" Tryffin looked around the empty balcony and out into the darkness nervously.   
  


"No one knows I came." He pulled Tryffin against him and the redhead eeped in surprise. "SH!"   
  


"Don't fucking shush me!" Tryffin hissed back as he was pressed unbelievably close to Ceilen. He could almost feel every single muscle on the man's body… "What the hell are you doing?"   
  


"Sh!" Ceilen shushed him again but before Tryffin could reply, Ceilen pressed a hand firmly over his mouth and jumped -- with Tryffin in his arms -- a good measure away and landed gently on a branch of the tree Aya and Ken had used. If Kouji was serious about beefing up his security he'd better start by cutting down that damn tree!  What the hell was this guy? Tryffin stared in horror at the man.   
  


If Ceilen knew his thoughts he never acknowledged it but continued to scan the area for Kouji's men. After a minute or so, he turned to Tryffin and asked, "Will you remain quiet?"   
  


Tryffin nodded, his eyes still fearful. Ceilen removed his hand slowly and nodded in satisfaction when Tryffin kept quiet.   
  


Tryffin stared at the balcony fifteen feet or so away, then back at Ceilen, his eyes impossibly wide. "How…how did you do that?" He asked breathlessly.   
  


Ceilen turned his attention from their surroundings to Tryffin, his eye holding just a touch of amusement. "Lots of practice." He said softly.   
  


Tryffin opened his mouth to reply but Ceilen placed a slender finger firmly against his lips. Tryffin suppressed the urge to kiss the finger, his face heating up with anger at his own confusing thoughts and emotions. Lashing back at the man who was the cause of all the turmoil, Tryffin made a threatening gesture of biting off Ceilen's finger. If that man shushed him one more time…he just might.   
  


Ceilen leaned into him, his hard body pressing against Tryffin as he whispered into the redhead's ear. "You promised to stay quiet."   
  


Tryffin shrank from the man but he was already pressed up against the tree trunk. He wanted to push Ceilen away but before he had the chance, the man got up, pulling Tryffin with him.   
  


Then Ceilen dropped out of the tree silently and stood looking up at Tryffin from the ground.   
  


Hell, no! Tryffin shook his head and gave the man his middle finger. But now of course he was stuck in the fucking tree! He looked around for a safer way down and finding none, looked angrily down at Ceilen. The one-eyed wonder looked irritated and beckoned for Tryffin to jump down.   
  


Okay, so it wasn't all that high but he wasn't a fucking monkey, damn it!   
  


Tryffin's decision was made for him when he saw Ceilen about to climb back up the tree. Oh, like HE needed to be rescued by Mr. Sensitive, here. He shifted uncomfortably as the sharp part of the tree bark dug into his bare feet. He took a deep breath and looked down at the ground one more time. If the man could drop like a leaf, so could he…maybe.   
  


Tryffin jumped.   
  


And landed on Ceilen.   
  


It surprised him how quiet they were as they lay on the hard ground breathing hard. Correction, Ceilen lay on his back with Tryffin half sprawling on top of him.   
  


"Itai." Tryffin breathed and pushed himself off of his brand new bodyguard. His gaze fell on the prone Ceilen and hoped he didn't break anything. Ceilen's eye was open and he was looking at Tryffin strangely.   
  


Tryffin muttered an apology. Still rubbing at his elbow. He was about to move away when they heard rustling sounds from the brush to their left. Tryffin looked back towards Ceilen in alarm and felt the man's hand clamping over his mouth once more. Then Ceilen pulled him down against his chest and rolled them toward another brush. When they stopped, Ceilen was lying on top of him, his hand still pressed firmly across Tryffin's mouth.   
  


Tryffin was too stunned to be indignant and it was rather pointless anyway since the man's attention was focused on the ensuing commotion as Kouji's men rushed to the scene. Tryffin groaned inwardly. This was no good; they couldn't even get out of the compound!   
  


Ceilen removed his hand from Tryffin's mouth and pressed his cheek against Tryffin then whispered, "Remain perfectly still." The man himself froze in place on top of the dazed redhead. Tryffin could not imagine how staying still was going to do any good. The place was crawling with Kouji's men by this point and he felt the spotlight passed over them several times. It was only a matter of time before they were found.   
  


But they weren't. Seconds turned to minutes and they were still not discovered. Tryffin was too shocked to notice that he had grabbed onto Ceilen's sweater with both hands and his face was deeply buried in the crook of Ceilen's neck.   
  


What he did notice was that it was now completely silent and they still hadn't moved. The strangely familiar scent surrounded him once again and he unconsciously burrowed deeper into Ceilen's neck. A mistake. Ceilen stiffened and pushed himself up, his elbows planted firmly on both sides of Tryffin's head. He gazed into Tryffin's eyes and the redhead had to remind himself to breathe. It was too dark to see the emotion behind that single eye but Tryffin knew that even if it were broad daylight, he wouldn't be able to tell anyway.   
  


They remained frozen like that with Ceilen staring down at him for several seconds before Ceilen looked away and scoured their surroundings. When satisfied, he got gracefully to his feet and held out a hand for Tryffin. The redhead stubbornly ignored the offered helping hand and clumsily stood up. They didn't say anything to each other but Tryffin couldn't help wondering how on earth they had gotten away with it. Maybe Kouji's men WERE really bad.   
  


Ceilen led them carefully through the forest that was the Hideout's haven. By the time they were out of Kouji's property, Tryffin's feet were sore. He was sure he had more than a few cuts on them but he'd be damned if he would complain to the cold bastard. When they'd gotten to the main road, Ceilen ushered Tryffin to the small, compact black car parked on the street. Tryffin couldn't identify the make of the car and there was no license plate. He sneaked a glance at the man who had him by the elbow and wondered if the man ever did anything legally.   
  


The car was a two-door sedan with heavily tinted windows. Tryffin could not see into the car even with it parked directly underneath the streetlight. The car didn't seem to be locked, Ceilen pressed his thumb against the door handle and the car hissed softly before the door opened. Tryffin took a step back but was urged forward again by Ceilen who helped him into the dark interior of the car. When Tryffin was seated, Ceilen closed the door, walked to the driver's side and climbed in.   
  


Tryffin was speechless. Which said quite a lot about what he was experiencing. He wasn't in a car. He was in a fucking airplane AND some. The lights and a bunch of other gadgets on the dashboard did not belong in a car and Tryffin glanced sideways at his companion again. Who the hell was this guy?   
  


"Put on your seatbelt." Ceilen told him in a neutral tone as he started the car and pulled onto the street. Tryffin reached over his left shoulder and was actually surprised that the seatbelt was quite normal. The rest of the car was awesome!  
  


"Dude! Where the hell did you get this car?" Tryffin reached over to touch a particularly shiny neon green button. Before he could reach his target, Ceilen reached over and grabbed his hand.   
  


"Don't touch anything."   
  


Tryffin snatched his hand away from the searing heat he felt in Ceilen's grip. He rubbed it unconsciously and scowled at the other man.   
  


"You have NO concept of personal space, you know that?"   
  


Ceilen didn't say anything for a while then he turned and stared at Tryffin.   
  


"Hey!" Tryffin shouted. "Keep your fucking eyes on the road, man!"   
  
Ceilen blinked at him a few seconds more before turning his attention back to the road.   
  


"Fucking idiot!" Tryffin muttered. "You're supposed to protect me or kill me?"   
  


Ceilen did not answer but Tryffin could tell by the way the man gripped the steering wheel that he was pissed. Good.   
  


"Where are we going?" Tryffin asked after a short silence.   
  


Ceilen sighed but didn't offer an answer.   
  


"Dude, I need clothes, shoes, some personal stuff and have you fucking seen my feet? Oh yeah, a first aid kit would be good too."   
  


Silence.   
  


"Hel~lo!"   
  


Nothing.   
  


"Do you have a radio?"   
  


Ceilen sighed again in exasperation and slammed on the breaks, stopping the car in the middle of the road. He turned to look at Tryffin with something akin to disbelief in his eye. "Do you EVER stop talking?"   
  


Tryffin grinned. "Only when my mouth is full." His grin got wider at the surprised look on Ceilen's face.   
  


Ceilen turned back to his driving abruptly and Tryffin burst out laughing. So, there WAS something that made the man lose his cool. Tryffin filed that information away for future use and began asking questions again.   
  


Fifteen minutes later Tryffin found them at a secluded park overlooking the bay. He frowned and looked around the car but couldn't see anyone or anything else. Nani?   
  


Ceilen got out of the car and closed the door. Tryffin groaned and looked piteously at his feet before doing the same. He seriously hoped that his last comment about how he kept quiet wasn't giving the man any strange ideas… But then again…he didn't think THAT was a bad thing.   
  


Ceilen turned away from Tryffin and leaned his back against the side of his car. Tryffin took this opportunity to study the man silently. Ceilen looked wiry, but powerful in his black tight-fitting turtleneck sweater. He wasn't built like a body builder but Tryffin had felt the strength of those arms first hand… He gulped and willed his heart to stop beating so erratically.   
  


"I suggest you get back in the car." Ceilen said without turning around.   
  


"Why are we here?" Tryffin asked as he looked around the deserted park again. He should be nervous that Ceilen might turn him over to the guy who was trying to kill him…but he wasn't. The thought flickered across his mind briefly and dissolved almost immediately. He didn't know how he knew but he was sure Ceilen would never do something like that.   
  


"We're testing a theory." Ceilen said softly. "Get in the car."   
  


"What theory?" Tryffin didn't move.   
  


Ceilen actually pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in resignation. He turned to the redhead with unsuppressed irritation and growled. "Do you EVER do as you're told?"   
  


Tryffin grinned. "Depends on the motivation."   
  


Ceilen closed his eye and rubbed his temples tiredly. "The motivation is life. Is that good enough for you?" Ceilen turned to Tryffin and pointed to the headlights coming their way. "If I'm right, we are being followed and those guys are going to try to kill you. Now get in the god damn car!"   
  


Tryffin looked up the road and sure enough there was a set of headlights coming their way. He reached for the handle and pulled. And pulled again.   
  


"Er…it's locked."   
  


Ceilen looked like he could scream. Very loudly. He grunted angrily and reached for his own door handle. Seconds later Tryffin's door popped open and he scrambled inside. His immediate danger being the fierceness he saw in Ceilen's eye and not the impending danger coming down the road.   
  


Once Tryffin settled in the car, he saw that the headlights were getting bigger and coming straight for them. He turned to see Ceilen leaning against the car casually as if he hadn't a care in the world and wondered if the man was sane. He looked around the car to see if he could find anything he might be able to use as a weapon but the car was completely empty. Tryffin steeled himself for a fight and knew that if it came down to that, there was no way he could leave Ceilen to fight alone.   
  


The huge SUV pulled up next to the car and even though Tryffin knew they couldn't see him; he flinched just a little anyway. Four burly men stepped out of the car and headed for Ceilen. The man stood unmoving as he waited for them.   
  


Tryffin felt his heart race in his chest as he watched what he was sure was going to be the end of Ceilen. The men stopped in front of his soon to be dead bodyguard and Tryffin clenched his fists tightly. He heard muffled sounds as the men began talking.   
  


After a few seconds, the men obviously didn't like what they'd heard because one of them rushed Ceilen and Tryffin felt his heart stop for the second time that night. The next thing he saw was Ceilen executing a perfect back flip and landing gracefully on top of the large SUV. The four men turned and shouted chaotically while pulling out various weapons. Tryffin didn't see Ceilen packing any hardware and before he could stop himself, he opened the driver side door, slamming into one of the assailants.   
  


Ceilen cursed as one of the thugs dragged Tryffin out of the car and threw him against the SUV. Tryffin didn't have time to worry about how pissed Ceilen was, he had problems of his own. He ducked the side of ham that thug #3 had for an arm, side stepped to the left and kneed the man in the groin. When the man doubled over, he kneed him in the chin and winced when he heard something crack. Oops.   
  


"Tryffin, duck!"   
  


At the warning yell from Ceilen, Tryffin instinctively dropped to his knees and swiped out with his leg at thug #4 who had recovered from the car door. Tryffin's leg knocked the man off his feet but before he could get up, Ceilen dropped down next to the thug and pinched a nerve at the base of the man's neck, effectively putting the man out of commission for a while.   
  


When Tryffin got to his feet, he looked around the area and found that Ceilen had taken out the other two thugs. Well, the man wasn't half bad, he thought. He turned back to said man and involuntarily took a step back.   
  


Ceilen was looking at him as though HE were one of the thugs! Yikes!   
  


Ceilen stalked menacingly towards Tryffin and stopped just inches away. "What were you doing?" Ceilen asked, his voice dangerously low.   
  


"Helping?" Somehow Tryffin was sure that wasn't the right answer.   
  


"I said to stay in the car." Ceilen reached out and grabbed Tryffin by the arm and shoved the younger man back to his car and pushed him inside. "Stay IN the car!" Tryffin winced as Ceilen slammed the door on him and watched indignantly as his bodyguard searched the fallen bodies then climbed into the SUV. He couldn't see what Ceilen was doing but he knew it involved lots of ripped wires and…was that something smoking…?   
  


Ceilen climbed back out and came back to his own car. Tryffin looked the other way when the man got into his seat and studiously examined the tiny speck of something he found on the window.   
  


Ceilen started the car and left the park without a word. Tryffin bit his lips, determined not to ask any questions. Minutes passed and Ceilen still hadn't said anything. Tryffin stole a glance at his bodyguard and noticed that Ceilen's hand had blood on it.   
  


"You're hurt." He said and shifted in his seat to face the other man. He reached out without thinking and took a hold of Ceilen's hand.   
  


Ceilen took a sharp breath and moved his hand away. "It's nothing."   
  


"It's bleeding."   
  


"I know, but it's nothing." Ceilen reached into glove compartment by Tryffin's knees and pulled out some tissues. Tryffin took the tissues from Ceilen and took a hold of the injured hand again.   
  


"You concentrate on driving." He told Ceilen as he proceeded to clean the wound. "I told you we need a first aid kit."   
  


Ceilen stared at Tryffin for a long moment before he gave a short laugh and shook his head.   
  


Tryffin felt something warm and fuzzy grow at the pit of his stomach as he watched the coldness disappear briefly from Ceilen. The man was breathtaking when he laughed and Tryffin was sure he had never, in his entire life, heard any sound more beautiful than Ceilen's laughter.   
  


If Tryffin thought he was screwed up before, he was positive now.   
  
  
  


TBC…

~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  


Thank you! I hope you like it! *twists hands together nervously* Tryffin and Ceilen will be together from this point onward… I really do hope they don't kill each other…   
  
  


Now let see… should I work on WK's fourth chapter or Gundam Wing's second chapter… decisions, decisions…


	4. Of Friends and Foes

**Author's notes and warnings:** Hello again!  This chapter, like Weiss Kreuz's chapter four, will be mainly about the boys.  No horribly complicated plots…just conversation between our closed up Ceilen and ultra genki Tryffin.  You can just see where this is going, right?  Poor, poor, Chichiri-sama…  

Okay, the first section of this chapter was written for a special friend who needed cheering up, it's pretty pointless and um…just pure fanservice.  No redeeming value what so ever, ne, Xellas? *giggles*  But enjoy, okay, guys?  
  
Reviews make fanfiction writers very, very happy, no da and I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers!  *Great big group hug*

  
**Tearlesereph:** Mean to Kouji?  Would I do that?  LOL  I actually have plans for Kouji, no da…  Thank you!!!

**Xellas**: Hm…I wonder whom I wrote that first part for…  LOL, like it? *wink, wink*  Thanks for everything especially the last part of the chapter!  Couldn't have done it without you!  (((hugs)))

**Ayako**: Oh, don't send the ex-bandit away just yet…Chiriko is coming for him, no daaaa…  Thank you!

**Sakata**: Hey…how're your fics coming?  Been busy much?  Thanks for all your support, ne?  And I'm patiently waiting for your update.   
**Hana** **no** **Ceres**: Ah, Manx and Ceilen…he's been like a big brother to her and even though they haven't seen each other for a while, it was a very close relationship…  I guess when you risk lives together, a strong bond is created, ne?  Thank you!

**Krysana**: MORE RanKen?  Gee, young lady, don't you ever have enough of those two?  *giggles*  I guess not… Me neither!  LOL, thanks for all your wonderful mails!  Missed you while you were gone…

**Lola**: Thank you!  Tas-chan is a sweetheart isn't he?  Lucky, Chichiri, ne?

**Shadow** **Myst**: Thank you!  Glad you like it!  Can you imagine how dull Ceilen's life would be without Tryffin?   
**Eeyaatoe**: LOL, the reason Tryffin doesn't have clothes on…hm…aside from Ceilen not wanting to take any tracking devices with them…er…hentai fanfic writer?  *ROFL*   Arigatou, no da!

**Keimei**: Got the books yet? *grins* Yeah, Manx, Mamoru and Ceilen knew each other back when, but Mamoru was quite young and may not remember the young man who helped protect him, ne?  But Ceilen remembers alright.  Glad you liked the semi-naked Tryffin… LOL  Thank you!

**Midori** **Natari** **Himura**: *Squeals*  Wai!  Hentai!  LOL, yeah, I'm getting there, I'm getting there! Any suggestions on how to keep one ex-bandit quiet?  Huh? Huh?

**Whisper** **Reilman**: Wai, I'm glad the Manx and Ceilen thing worked out okay.  I wasn't sure if I could show the depths of their friendship…I'm glad you like it!  Thank you very much!

**Bakachan**:  Did you change your email?  I guess I'll find out, ne?  Thanks for two wonderful reviews!  *great big hug for Wuffie too!*  And you're reading my mind?  Yeah, 'somfing' naughty is coming Tryffin's way, ne?  Thank you, no da!

**Mikazuki**: LOL, I hope they don't kill each other as well, no da!  Or I'm going to have to write a whole new story!  Speaking of writing a new story…how's Insight coming?

**Yuki**: Aiya!  Blunt object, no da?  Tsk, tsk..harming the writer will only delay the chapter, no da… *grins*  Um… but thanks for the threat anyway…I think… @.@

**Kawaii**: *giggles* You bet your kawaii booty they will find out they want each other's body!  THEN they can kill each other…?  

**Firekat**: Thank you!  FF.net has been bratty lately, ne?  I hope this chapter posts okay…  *hugs*

**Space** **Lion**: LOL, I will definitely let Tryffin 'gets it' in many different ways if you know what I mean. *wink, wink*  Thank you, no da!

**Fei**: I did work on WK chapter four per your imperious demand! *wink*  How are you doing?  The upcoming event going well?  I hope you are resting enough…   er…how's the muse doing, no daaaa…?  LOL.  Thank you for taking the time to read and review!  When I write FY reincarnation fic, I usually like the boys to remember their past lives...eventually.  In this case, the sense of smell is linked closest to memories, so Tryfin's remembering things about his Chichiri through scent, no da! (((hugs and goddess blessings)))

**Sirrah**:  *blushes*  Thank you, you are so sweet!  I'll try never to mess up, no da…  (((hugs)))  
  
Some lime and silliness up ahead… Please read at your own discretion!

Thanks Hitari-chan for betaing and Xellas for helping me with the last couple of sentences!  I really didn't like what I had.  ((HUGS))

Now I'll shut up and you can enjoy!!!!  
  
  


**A Fine Line–FY:** Chapter Four – _Of Friends and Foes_

By Moonraven   
  
  
  


_(Day Two immediately after the events in the last chapter)_   
  
  


Ceilen drove a short ways before he pulled over to the shoulder of the road and parked. Tryffin glanced nervously at the narrow ridge and the ocean below them then pressed back against the door on his side of the car. He hated water and when the water was as vast as the ocean, he was truly terrified.   
  
Ceilen studied the cut on his hand briefly before turning to the redhead who was trying to merge with the passenger side car-door. He lifted his eyebrows questioningly and blinked at the petrified young man.   
  


"I won't hurt you." Ceilen frowned at Tryffin and remained perfectly still. For the first time since Tryffin had met him, Ceilen looked uncertain and Tryffin wasn't sure that he liked it. The arrogant Ceilen, though irritating, actually gave Tryffin courage and he felt more vulnerable when Ceilen didn't display his usual superior attitude.   
  


"It's…it's not that." Tryffin took a deep calming breath, only it didn't calm him. "I'm really…really terrified of the ocean and we're so close to falling over…it's so high."   
  


Ceilen blinked blankly at Tryffin as if he was trying to process what was said, then he looked out his window at the dark vastness of the water and nodded. Tryffin was immensely grateful when Ceilen silently moved the car. His bodyguard drove on a few more miles before he found a spot on Tryffin's side of the road that would keep the ocean out of view. Tryffin let out a huge breath and closed his eyes.   
  
"Sorry, man." He told Ceilen quietly. "And…er…thanks."   
  
"Don't thank me yet. You don't know why we've stopped." Ceilen said just as quietly.   
  


Tryffin frowned and looked over at the man. "Why did we stop?" Tryffin wasn't sure if he should be scared. Earlier, Ceilen had said that he wouldn't hurt him, so why the ominous tone? Why did Ceilen look uncomfortable again?   
  


"Well, my theory was correct. We were followed." Ceilen said while keeping his eyes on the windshield in front of him.   
  


"They probably parked out by your car and followed you. Shouldn't you've seen them or something?" The man wasn't doing that much better than Tryffin if he'd allowed the baddies to follow them already.   
  


"There was no one tracking ME. They don't need to follow my car, just you."   
  


"What the hell are you talking about?" Tryffin turned in his seat and faced the man. "You're not yapping about some tracking device thing again are you? Look at me." Tryffin opened his arms wide. "I ain't carrying shit! You won't let me get my fucking clothes on, remember?"   
  


Ceilen didn't look at Tryffin but kept his gaze straight ahead. "It's not in your clothes." He said softly.   
  


Tryffin frowned and stared at Ceilen as if he'd lost his mind. "So where is it?"   
  
Ceilen turned and looked into Tryffin's amber eyes. He held out his right hand and said, "Your earrings."   
  


Tryffin gaped at the open palm as if it had teeth. "I've had these for years! They're no bugs."   
  


Ceilen sighed. "At this point, I don't trust anyone in your household. They could have tampered with them so hand them over." He motioned with his fingers for Tryffin to do just that.   
  


"I don't fucking believe this!" Tryffin muttered angrily as he took off his favorite pair of aquamarine earrings. He had gotten them specially made because the shade of that particular gemstone reminded him of something he'd dreamt of long ago. Something he couldn't quite remember yet it left an impression in his heart so deep that he couldn't forget it.   
  


"When do I get them back?" He asked as he grudgingly dropped the earrings in Ceilen hand.   
  


Ceilen pulled out a small black rectangular box the size of a matchbox from a compartment in his dashboard and opened it. The box seemed to be made out of some kind of metal and the earrings made small tinkling sounds as they hit the bottom of the box. Ceilen closed the metal lid and cleared his throat. He seemed to be struggling with the next part and since Tryffin didn't feel like helping him, the redhead asked again rather obnoxiously. "When do I fucking get them back? They mean a lot to me."   
  


Ceilen scowled at him – again – and asked, "More than your life?"   
  


"That's what I have YOU for, right? To keep me alive?"   
  
"That's what I'm doing! So hand over the other…" Ceilen hesitated and then blurted, "piercing." He held out his hand again and looked straight out the front of the car.   
  


"What're ya talking about?" The man had lost his fucking mind. Tryffin was sure that one of those trolls they encountered earlier must have hit the man a little too hard.   
  


Ceilen took a deep breath and said calmly, "You have another… body piercing. I saw it when you dropped the blanket. Please remove it."   
  


Tryffin could feel his face heating up as he remembered the matching penis…er…accessories he and Kouji had gotten. He had completely forgotten about that and sure as hell didn't want to be fumbling around his dick NOW of all times to remove it.   
  


Holy shit! He'd just remember that he COULDN'T remove it…not without help anyway… Shit, shit, shit.   
  
"Er…well, about that little…um…piercing thingy…" Tryffin swallowed hard as he tried to tell Ceilen what he was sure would give the man a heart attack. Tryffin wasn't sure what it would give HIM but he sure as hell didn't want to find out.   
  


It was Tryffin's turn to take a deep breath and blurted, "I can't take it off."   
  


Ceilen gave him an irritated sigh and said, "Do we have to go over this again? It's not only your life but mine as well. Now get it off!"   
  


"I can't!" Tryffin said and looked out his side of the window. "If you want it, you're going to have to get it yourself." He muttered so low that he wasn't sure Ceilen could hear him.   
  


The silence that followed was so deafening, Tryffin heard all kinds of stuff especially his heartbeat hammering in his chest. Yep, Ceilen heard him alright.   
  


Tryffin grimaced and turned back to his bodyguard. He could still feel the heat in his cheeks but there was no going around it now. "You see, we had this problem with the last piercing…and I kinda lost it when we…er, never mind. So Kouji went and got this clasp thing that sorta, kinda locks and the only way to get it off is to put a pin in this little hole and pull on both balls at the end of the bar. Only I can't do it by myself…you know the pushing…and the pulling…" Okay, why did shit like this always happen to him? It was official, he was really, really fucked up. No, KOUJI and his damn ideas were fucked up. Someone up there just plain didn't like him.   
  


Ceilen stared at him. The man was just… staring; it was damn near scary. Tryffin cleared his throat and waved a hand in front of Ceilen's face. "Hello?"   
  


Ceilen batted the hand away with a grunt and chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. "Can't you just… yank?"   
  


"HELL NO!" Tryffin yelled as he clasped both hands to his crotch and scooted away from Ceilen. "And don't you give me any shit about what's more important, my dick or my life, 'cause I'm fucking choosing my dick! Now get the hell away from me!"   
  


Ceilen did not look happy and Tryffin nearly snorted out loud. This definitely was NOT the cold, indifferent bastard he'd met earlier. Tryffin felt a tiny jolt of pleasure as he thought that there was hope for the man yet.   
  


Ceilen let out a deep breath then looked hard at Tryffin. "Well, if I'm going to help you remove it, I can't very well stay away, now can I?" Ceilen then pulled open the compartment between their seats and took out a small box. He closed the compartment and put the box on top of it then snapped open the lid. Inside, Tryffin saw small tools, things technicians used when working with computers and other things with tiny parts. Ceilen turned the box towards him and pointed to the content.   
  


"How small?" Ceilen asked.   
  


Tryffin looked around the box and asked, "Can't you just cut it with that cutter, there?"   
  


Ceilen shook his head. "I'd rather not. I want to see if I can trace it back to the source. I really don't think the computer in the SUV was it. So, which one?"   
  


Tryffin had only seen the tiny hole briefly when Kouji had shown him the small ornament. It was really made for something as small as a pin. He rummaged around the various screwdrivers and tiny picks until he found one with the tip he thought was small enough.   
  


"This one?" He picked it up and hesitantly handed it over to Ceilen. "Er… look, do we really have to do this? Kouji gave it to me, man, you don't think he's the guy that planted the bug, do you?"   
  


Ceilen didn't look like he wanted to do THIS either and actually considered what Tryffin said. "Anyone else know about the piercing?"   
  
"Well, yeah but no one came near enough to mess with it. I would have known, man." Tryffin was relieved that Ceilen was willing to rethink this.   
  


"When was it replaced?"   
  
"Huh?"   
  
A sigh. "You said you lost one and this is the replacement. When was it replaced? Where did Kouji get it and who else knew about it?"   
  


"Oh. Well, I lost the first one about a week ago and Kouji placed a special order for this one. Hell, almost everybody knew about it, they'd made jokes every god damn day."   
  


Ceilen sighed and rubbed his temples tiredly. "It comes off."   
  


Tryffin's heart sank but another part of his anatomy rose eagerly at the image of Ceilen kneeling between his legs, with his enthusiastic member clasped firmly in those strong hands. Tryffin eyes widened as he frantically willed his brain to conjure up some very unsexy thoughts before Ceilen could see what was rising between his legs.   
  


No such luck. The more he thought, the harder he got and he clutched anxiously at his erection, trying to get it to behave.   
  


Ceilen switched on a small light that was attached to the dashboard next to Tryffin's knee. Then he leaned over and released a lever under Tryffin's seat, making the chair move nearly all the way to the back. Tryffin whimpered as Ceilen made preparations to remove the small silver bar he had pierced into the foreskin on the underside of his penis. He cursed Ceilen's incredible powers of observation; how the hell did the man see it when he only got a brief look at Tryffin naked?   
  


"Um… look, man… it's not like I want to… er, you know, but all this… this…" Shit! He sounded like an imbecile!   
  


Ceilen stopped rearranging the interior of his car and looked up at him expectantly. "What?"   
  


"Nothing." Tryffin muttered dishearteningly. What the hell was he supposed to say? 'Oh by the way, Ceilen, little Tryffie is really happy to see you so don't freak, okay?' Yeah… right… he could see Ceilen now screaming at the top of his lungs and ripping out the silver piercing. Youch!   
  


Ha! It seemed that 'little Tryffie' didn't like THAT mental image either and Tryffin thanked the gods for small favors. He looked up at the ceiling of the car and silently apologized for thinking earlier that someone up there didn't like him.   
  


"Decline the back of your seat all the way down." Ceilen instructed impersonally and Tryffin obeyed automatically. Wait a minute… he didn't need to lie down for this.   
  


"Now turn in your seat so you're facing me." Ceilen continued. Tryffin now saw that it was easier for him to do so with the back of the seat all the way down and he settled comfortably facing Ceilen.   
  
Ceilen unclasped some stuff and the compartment he had stored the tools earlier came off and he placed that behind him in the back seat. Now there was nothing between himself and Ceilen.   
  


"Alright, here we go." Ceilen said softly and shook his head as if he couldn't believe this was happening. No shit, bucko! Tryffin couldn't fucking believe it either!   
  


Tryffin didn't move but continued to clutch the opening of his coat. Well, Ceilen's coat, to be precise and swallowed nervously. He was not the shy type, his sex life was pretty damn active and he'd screwed plenty of strangers but there was something about Ceilen that made him… almost timid. Tryffin hated that word but it damn near described how he was feeling right about now.   
  


Ceilen looked at Tryffin's hands then frowned up at Tryffin's face. "Well? We can't stay here all night."   
  


Why the hell not? Tryffin wanted to ask but knew that Ceilen was right. He took a deep breath and fumbled with the buttons on the coat. Well, maybe he ought to warn Ceilen first…   
  


"Er… just, well it's nothing personal… so don't, you know, get all weird or anything, okay?" Tryffin mumbled. "I mean I AM normally pretty active and all this talk about you and my… er… well just… just… aw, hell." He gave up and simply reached between the openings of the coat and pulled out his semi-erected shaft. He stared out the window, adamantly refusing to see what might flash across Ceilen's face, it was better to just not know if the man was grossed out or what not…   
  


"Just pretend I'm a… doctor or something."   
  


Tryffin whimpered. He didn't want to tell Ceilen that his doctor was pretty damn good looking and services provided were certainly more than just check ups.   
  
At the increased rigidity of his organ and his stubborn silence, Ceilen must have guessed that thinking 'doctor' was a bad idea. "Oh for crying out loud… just… just hold it still!" Ceilen muttered.   
  


Tryffin thought he'd heard a little catch in Ceilen's steady voice and couldn't help hoping that this whole thing was affecting the man as well. It wouldn't make him feel like such a slut getting hard over some stranger if Ceilen were to feel something too...   
  


Tryffin held back a groan when he felt Ceilen's hot breath on his shaft and the man's warm strong fingers brushed against the side of his rapidly hardening flesh. Those fingers pressed the silver bar gently against his hot length and Tryffin shivered as pleasure shot up his spine.   
  


"Gods… just hurry, will ya?" Tryffin's voice was far from steady as Ceilen worked just a fraction of an inch away from his now fully erected member. He was infernally grateful that Ceilen didn't say anything about his state of arousal, it was pretty damn embarrassing as it was, he sure as hell didn't need the man to tease him about how horny he was.   
  


"You need to keep it still." Ceilen said again. "I'm going to poke you if you keep moving."   
  


"YOU try keeping still when someone's got your dick in his hands and his mouth is just right there… Ahh!" Tryffin couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips as Ceilen pressed the tip of the pick in the tiny hole. The pressure of the movement sent incredible sensations through him and he bit his lip harshly before more inappropriate noises could escape.   
  
"Sorry." Ceilen mumbled. "Could you pull the end of the bar while I keep the pressure?"   
  


Tryffin looked down at his too enthusiastic organ and nearly came in Ceilen's face. He stifled a groan and blinked repeatedly at the brown head that was practically on top of his engorged tip. The softly parted lips were so close to engulfing him and Tryffin was sweating with the sheer effort of NOT creaming his bodyguard's face. Tryffin knew his breathing was erratic and his throbbing shaft pulsed in time with his heartbeat. Ceilen must have noticed it too, he was so close Tryffin could feel every single breath…   
  


At Tryffin's inaction, Ceilen looked up from his task and their eyes met. For a space of a heartbeat, Tryffin could have sworn that he saw desire burning bright in that beautiful brown eye but as quick as it appeared, it was gone. Ceilen's eye now held nothing but cool indifference as he looked up at his protectee.   
  


Tryffin swallowed his disappointment and nodded. "Okay, you got the other end, right?"   
  
Ceilen nodded and waited until he saw that Tryffin had a ball between his fingers. "Now." Ceilen's quiet voice rang out and they both tugged firmly at their respective balls (Author pauses to giggle… er… gomen). The bar came apart and Ceilen pulled it out of Tryffin's flesh gently. He reached over and took Tryffin's portion from his shaking hand and dropped both of them in the black box to join his earrings.   
  
With a relieved sigh, Tryffin tugged himself away and buttoned the coat. This was so fucking embarrassing, he wanted to crawl under the car and never come out. Fuck Kouji and his brilliant ideas!   
  


"That's it, right? No more… anything?" Ceilen asked tiredly. It looked like this whole thing had taken a lot out of the man too.   
  


"No, that's it." Tryffin couldn't help feeling disappointed that the man didn't make a move on him. What he wouldn't give to feel that gorgeous mouth on his flesh… Tryffin put his seat back in its place and leaned his head back dejectedly. What the hell was he thinking anyways? This was not some picnic. They were running for their lives here and all he could think about was having Ceilen fuck him senseless.   
  


"You can have them back when I'm done with them." Ceilen said in terms of a peace offering.   
  


"Okay." Tryffin was too drained emotionally to argue and he closed his eyes as Ceilen fired up the engine once more.   
  


They drove on for close to an hour, always hugging the coast. Tryffin hated that but since Ceilen didn't make any move to go any closer, he could live with it. Then the man pulled into a shipyard of some kind and Tryffin wasn't so sure anymore.   
  


Tryffin frowned and looked around him as Ceilen continued to drive slowly between rolls of grounded boats. It was too dark to see much, only areas where the headlights illuminated, but the boats that were sitting on the ramps all around them didn't look like they were going anywhere, anytime soon. Which was a good thing in Tryffin's opinion. When they'd reached a large wooden structure at the end of the lane, Ceilen pressed the neon green button Tryffin was interested in earlier and the wooden door of the building creaked open slowly.   
  


The structure was nestled at the foot of the cliff they were traveling on and all three sides of the building were sheltered by it. If the headlights of the car didn't allow him the see the structure, Tryffin would have thought that they were driving into the wall of rocks.   
  


He let out a relieved sigh and a small laugh. "Geeze! I thought for a minute there that you were going to make me get in a boat."   
  


Ceilen didn't say anything but drove into the building and parked the car. Within seconds, the door slid shut again and the lights came on. Tryffin was about to open his car door when Ceilen said, "Stay in the car."   
  


"Dude, if I get a yen for every time you say that…" Tryffin didn't get to finish because the ground dropped in front of them and Ceilen drove the car forward, down into what he thought was an underground parking. But as Ceilen drove the car further down, Tryffin saw that it wasn't a parking of any kind, it was more like a winding tunnel that lead to a large underground cavern.   
  


"A fucking Bat Cave." Tryffin muttered as Ceilen stopped the car and shut off the engine.   
  


Ceilen turned to him and said, "Now, you can get out." Then the man opened his own door and stepped out.   
  


Tryffin swallowed and looked around the outside of the car uncertainly. It was dark without the headlights and Tryffin didn't see anything worth getting out for when they DID have the lights to see by.   
  


Ceilen poked his head back into the car and gave Tryffin a mocking look. "NOW you want to stay in the car."   
  
The small interior car light lit Ceilen's playful expression and Tryffin found he couldn't talk. The shadows danced across Ceilen's features and hair, altering the man's appearance and Tryffin felt the familiar tugging in his chest as he usually did when he thought of Ceilen. A sense of familiarity and intimacy that couldn't possibly be there but nonetheless overwhelmingly THERE, it left him breathless and confused.   
  


Tryffin cleared his throat and look away before Ceilen could see the confusion in his face. "Where are we?" He asked.   
  


"Somewhere safe." Ceilen said softly.   
  


"I guess…" Tryffin opened his door and got out cautiously. "I mean, who's gonna find us here… where ever here is."   
  


Tryffin heard a grunt from Ceilen's direction and decided that it was a laugh. Ceilen closed the car door and they were completely engulfed in darkness. "Er… you didn't pay your utility bill or something?"   
  
Another grunt… another laugh, Tryffin hoped. Then he heard a click and a dull hum and then the whole area was bathed in white light. Tryffin held the back of his hand to his eyes to shield them from the sudden brightness and blinked rapidly to adjust himself.   
  


When he lowered his hand he saw that they were parked in the middle of a large cave the size of an enclosed sports arena. But instead of the high tech equipment he had expected to find lining the walls, Tryffin saw only granite and earth.   
  


He turned to Ceilen, completely mystified. "What… are we doing here?" All the secrecy to get down here and all there was, was just an empty cave? Were they supposed to camp out here? Why the hidden entrance?   
  


"You don't like it?" Ceilen asked. "Not like your luxurious mansion, is it?" His bodyguard walked towards a small passage to one side of the wall and Tryffin followed hesitantly.   
  


"I've seen worse." Tryffin caught up with Ceilen and walked beside the man. "I was living in the streets before I met Kouji, you know."   
  


Ceilen glanced sideways at him but didn't say anything. He led them into the crude passageway, which were lit with a single bulb every 10 feet or so. The wall of the passage itself was like the cavern, all rocks and earth.   
  


After about a hundred feet, they came to a turnoff on their right and Ceilen led them into a room. Tryffin blinked and raised an eyebrow at his bodyguard.   
  


"Is this where you live?" The room was small by Kouji's standard but average to everyone else, Tryffin supposed. It contained one single bed, a plain night stand with nothing on it, a desk with a computer and files scattered on top, a cardboard box that acted as a filing cabinet and a tall chest that Tryffin guessed served as a dresser. It was bare and utilitarian; nothing to write home about. But it was unexpected because it was a complete opposite of the man's car.   
  


"Sometimes." Ceilen said as he moved to the tall chest and pulled out some clothes. "I can get you supplies tomorrow but you can use these tonight." He tossed the clothes on the bed and pointed out into the corridor. "To your right is the bathroom. No hot water I'm afraid, but it does have running water and a workable toilet. I'll be back in a few minutes."   
  


"Where are you going?"   
  


"Parameter check." Then he was gone.   
  


'Parameter check' Tryffin mimicked silently and rolled his eyes. The man's got to get a life! Or get laid. He snickered in his head. HE wouldn't mind helping out in THAT capacity.   
  


Tryffin looked around the room curiously. There was nothing to snoop with the bed and the nightstand but the computer and those files… he leafed through several pages of the first file he picked up and found nothing he recognized. Nothing he understood anyways, they were all about something called Kritiker. There was a list of names and bios and stuff and since they meant nothing to him he moved on to the next file. Again it was filled with names, addresses, and some really strange shit that read more like science fiction than anything else. He put that one down too.   
  


Then realizing that it would probably wouldn't do to be caught snooping, Tryffin moved back to the bed and got out of Ceilen's coat. He slung it over the back of the chair by the desk and pulled on the gray sweatpants and plain white T-shirt. When he was done, he moved towards the desk again only to find Ceilen staring at him strangely from the doorway. Tryffin swallowed nervously. How long was the man standing there? Did he see Tryffin looking through the files? Hell, did he see him change? He was buck-naked!   
  


Heat rose to Tryffin's face and he tugged unconsciously at the hem of his shirt. He couldn't believe he was embarrassed about Ceilen seeing him naked. The man already did when they were at Kouji's place and again in the damn car when he was practically holding Tryffin's erection in his hand. What's that comparing to him changing?   
  


Ceilen was holding a first-aid kit in his hand and motioned Tryffin to get on the bed. Tryffin had given up on dressing his abused feet and smiled in relief at the strange man who was going to become his constant companion. Ceilen put the kit on the desk and narrowed his eye at the files as if he knew they were moved. Tryffin swallowed and started picking on the scraps at the bottom of his feet to avoid any kind of eye contact with the other man.   
  


After a short pause, Ceilen moved from the table and kneeled at Tryffin's feet. He picked up the injured appendages and inspected it with clinical detachment before pronouncing that they needed cleaning and for Tryffin to remain on the bed. Ceilen left and returned almost immediately with a small basin of water. He got a small bottle containing some dark liquid out of the first-aid kit and poured some into the basin. Then he took that along with the kit and kneeled back down in front of Tryffin.   
  


"This might sting a bit." Ceilen told Tryffin as he lowered one foot into the dark brown water.   
  
Tryffin grunted softly when the cuts hit the water but it wasn't as bad as he had anticipated. Ceilen proceeded to clean the bottom of his feet and Tryffin couldn't help feeling that this whole thing was some kind of a weird dream. Not two days ago he was safe in his little world of shopping, partying and having the time of his young life. Tonight he was underground, in hiding with a man wearing an eye patch. Who would have known his life would take such a drastic turn?   
  


The room was so quiet that the sounds of trickling water from the basin echoed dully around them. Tryffin cleared his throat and decided that Ceilen hadn't seen him snooping so it was safe to talk to the man. Besides, he'd rather listen to Ceilen's grunting than more of the damn water.   
  


"So… what's this place?"   
  
Ceilen paused for a second or so before replying, "Somewhere I come to from time to time."   
  
No shit.   
  


"Why here? I mean, this can't be your place, right?" Tryffin looked around the room again and grimaced. The room clearly didn't have the permanence of a home; those makeshift dresser and file cabinet told Tryffin that much. "And what's with the James Bond secrecy, man? I mean hidden underground entrance? Didn't we get rid of those guys and the… er, you know… tracking thing?"   
  


Ceilen sighed but didn't look up from his task and he didn't reply. Tryffin was beginning to get the impression that the man was getting tired of his questions but he trudged on anyway.   
  


"How long are we going to be holed up here?" It was going to be hell for both of them if Ceilen didn't loosen up and talk to him.   
  


Ceilen sighed again as he started cleaning the other foot. "Not long."   
  


"How long is 'not long'?"   
  


Ceilen looked up and gave him a chilling look. "A few days, maybe more, maybe less. Is that okay with you?"   
  
Tryffin frowned at the condescending tone and said gruffly, "No, it's not okay with me! Being stuck with you in your 'silent asshole mode' for one night is bad enough, I have to put up with it for days? It just plain sucks!"   
  


Ceilen stopped what he was doing and Tryffin could see the man's jaw muscles clenching. "Then the feeling is mutual." He said very softly and went back to start on the bandaging.   
  


Tryffin stared at the bent head while he silently counted to ten. "When you're done with that, I'm leaving. You don't want me here; I don't wanna be here. End of story."   
  


Ceilen stared silently at Tryffin's foot and the redhead was pretty sure the man was counting to ten as well. When Ceilen was done 'counting', which Tryffin suspected was closer to twenty, he looked up and Tryffin could see fire burning in his brown eye. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"   
  


Tryffin gasped in indignation. "**_I'm_ being difficult? ME?" He pointed an index finger to his chest incredulously. "I'M trying to carry on a conversation. I'M trying to make our time together less stressful. I'M trying to understand you, and YOU'RE calling me DIFFICULT?"   
  
**

Ceilen blinked at him then frowned and looked away. "You can't leave. It's not safe."   
  
Tryffin felt his heart racing at the soft tone in Ceilen's voice. "I don't wanna leave but you're making this hard, man. I'm not used to so much… animosity. If we have to be together all the time, can't we try to get along? You know, be… friends?"   
  


Ceilen's frown deepened and he had a far away look in his eye as if he was remembering something. Then he shook his head and looked down again. "Friendship is irrelevant. Emotions cloud your judgment. It's not safe." His voice was mechanical, like he was reciting a tuneless mantra.   
  


"It's not safe if I leave either. So… how about it if we start getting along and be 'not safe' together instead of me leaving and be 'not safe' alone?"   
  
Ceilen gaped up at him and blinked blankly. "Do you know what you've just said?"   
  
Tryffin snorted. "Yeah, why?"   
  
Ceilen shook his head roughly as if it was full of cobweb. "Because your logic is bizarre."   
  
"Yeah?" Tryffin grinned at the Ceilen's dumbfounded expression. Maybe they could start again…   
  
"So… what's this place? Is it, like, a place you bring all your charges or something? A safehouse maybe?"   
  
"Does it matter?"   
  
Tryffin sweatdropped. Who the hell WAS this guy? "Yeah, it matters! You dragged me here, I wanna know what here is." Tryffin looked carefully at the bent head in front of him then said softly, "I'm stuck with you for a while and I'm trusting you with my life. I wanna know more about you, about why you do things, what you feel…" Tryffin bit his lip suddenly, appalled by what he'd just said. Why the hell would he want to know what the man feels?   
  
Ceilen stopped his ministration on Tryffin's foot and looked up at him strangely. Tryffin's face was hot enough to heat North Pole and he stammered to cover his slip of the tongue. "I meant 'think'… feel… think, it's almost the same anyways, right? I mean why do you feel like you have to do certain things… you know." Tryffin had always been one to think fast on his feet so… what the hell happened? Why didn't that come out right?   
  


Ceilen raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything as he went back to work on the foot. Tryffin didn't like being ignored so he baited the man.   
  


"I know how to get down here, you know. Aren't you afraid I might tell people or something? You know, come back here later and bring… I don't know… someone? Don't tell me you trust me."   
  


Ceilen sighed again. "I don't." He said that almost sadly and Tryffin wondered if the man had anyone he could depend on. "All done, try not to get it wet for at least tonight. Tomorrow we'll get clothes and shoes so they'll be better protected." Ceilen put the stuff back into the kit and stood up. He looked down at Tryffin with a small frown but he didn't look angry, it was more like he was trying to figure out what made Tryffin tick.   
  


"By the time we're done with this case, I wouldn't need this place anymore. You're welcome to it." He told Tryffin quietly and turned to go.   
  
"Wait." Tryffin called though he didn't know what to say. "Er… well, um… isn't this your, er room?"   
  


Ceilen turned back to Tryffin and nodded. "Yes, it is." He looked at Tryffin expectantly, waiting for him to continue.   
  


"Er… well, how… you know…" He looked at the bed he was on then back up at the man.   
  


Ceilen raised his brows and his eye suddenly gleamed with amusement. "Are you offering to share the bed?"   
  
"NO!" Tryffin swore he'd NEVER blushed so much in his entire life! And it took A LOT to embarrass him. "It's YOUR bed, I'll sleep in the car, or something." He mumbled red faced.   
  


Ceilen's lips twitched then and that was closest he's going to get to a smile tonight. Ceilen shook his head. "I won't be sleeping; I have work to do. You sleep." He turned then and left the room.   
  


Tryffin sighed and smacked his forehead repeatedly with his hand. He couldn't understand what was the matter with him. He was NEVER shy with men he wanted to bed and he definitely wanted Ceilen. The man was hot, eye patch and all! But instead of flirting with Ceilen, he'd found himself tongue-tied and always on the defensive. Why couldn't he seduce the man? What the hell was happening to him?   
  
  


~~~~~   
  
  


Tryffin slept fitfully, his dreams plagued with pain and unimaginable sense of loss and loneliness. Every time he woke gasping for breath, he could not recall what he had dreamt about but the overwhelming sadness remained deep in his soul and he nearly sobbed from the intensity of it.   
  
And every time that Tryffin woke, Ceilen was there, sitting in the chair by the desk, either fiddling with something tiny in his hands or frowning ferociously at something on the computer screen. True to his words, the man did not sleep. Seeking refuge from dreams he could not remember, Tryffin tried to stay awake by watching his strong companion, but he found himself drifting off again… to be plagued with more dreams…   
  


… He was lying on his back with something pressing down on him and he couldn't move. He tried pushing it away but it whimpered and pressed down harder. Tryffin snapped his eyes opened and took a sharp breath when he saw what was holding him down.   
  


Somebody's head was resting on his chest while the rest of the body snuggled into his side. One slender arm draped tenderly across Tryffin's waist and tightened just a fraction as the figure pressed closer to him. Strangely familiar scent of softly fragrant herbs drifted from the head with soft blue hair that rested against his cheek and shoulder. Tryffin choked back a cry but the person snuggled closer and murmured very softly, "I love you."   
  


His heart ached and swelled and it seemed to him that it would surely burst from so much joy that the three words had given him. He pulled his arms around the figure and held him close. "I love you, too." He whispered back and even though he had not seen who it was that had captured his soul, Tryffin knew without a doubt that what he'd said was true.   
  


The figure stirred and sighed. Then the beautiful blue head lifted and the man who owned Tryffin's heart looked up at him with the softest and gentlest of smiles.   
  


Tryffin stiffened and froze in shock. He was looking at Ceilen's face smiling lovingly at him from underneath ridiculously vertical blue bangs. Tryffin blinked and recoiled from Ceilen in astonishment. The beautiful smile that graced the man's face disappeared and was replaced by such agonizing pain that tore viciously into Tryffin's heart.   
  


Tryffin cried out and bolted upright in bed. He blinked and looked around the bed frantically but he was alone. He put a hand to his chest and took deep breaths to calm his heart. Such pain… what the hell was all that about?   
  


"Are you alright?" Ceilen's deep voice asked from the doorway.   
  


Tryffin nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a real weird dream, that's all." He turned to drink in the man's features, to reassure himself that there was no agony in the other man's eye. He needed to know he didn't cause the look of despair that swept across the features of Ceilen in his dream.   
  


The man was watching him with a frown and relief flooded Tryffin's being before something else registered. Ceilen had changed his clothes. What the…? He stood in the doorway dressed in white long sleeve shirt and dark green pants. His tan boots poking out from under the straight cut of his pants, completing a most delectable picture of Ceilen, and it nearly made Tryffin laugh with joy. It was all a dream for the man was still as cross as ever. No pain there.   
  


"Where are you going?" Tryffin asked abruptly when he noticed Ceilen was holding his keys.   
  


"To get you stuff." Ceilen said. "You looked terrible. Are your feet in pain?"   
  
"No." Tryffin stood up and tested the bandaged feet. "They're okay." He looked up and Ceilen and started towards the man. "I wanna come too."   
  


Ceilen's small frown grew suddenly. "It's safer here."   
  


Tryffin groaned and pushed past Ceilen as he headed towards the bathroom. "I thought we agreed that we would be 'not safe' together?" He turned and winked at Ceilen over his shoulder. "Besides, I may not be here when you get back." Tryffin laughed gaily as he closed the bathroom door behind him, cutting off Ceilen's irritated reply.   
  


He was pretty sure that Ceilen wouldn't leave him alone after that last comment.   
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  


"Stay in the car! Don't touch anything! Yeah, yeah, he sounded like a broken record or something." Tryffin grumbled as he tried to pry the hatch of the glove compartment opened with the string from his sweatpants. "Fuck you, asshole! If you insist on leaving me here, I can't guarantee you'll find the fucking car in the same condition… Damn it!" Tryffin exclaimed in frustration when the stubborn string refused to wedge itself in properly. He swore ALL of Ceilen's belongings were working against him… including the damn string on the damn pants.   
  


After putting the drawstring back in his sweatpants, Tryffin looked around the near empty parking lot and chanced opening the car door. It was too damn hot in the car and he didn't feel like being roasted just then… even though it would probably serve Ceilen right to come back and find one dead protectee because he was too fucking inconsiderate to leave the window open.   
  


Well, since the door was already opened… what's one more 'insubordination'? Tryffin looked around again and when he felt he was relatively inconspicuous, he closed the car door and walked casually towards the clump of trees that Ceilen had gone into. 'Casually' would probably be the wrong description to use when one wore bandages in lieu of shoes and winced constantly as one walked, but 'casually' was what Tryffin was aiming for. Since no one looked twice at him, he patted himself on the back, figuratively of course or 'casually' and 'inconspicuously' would have flown out the windows, and smiled smugly as he continued in Ceilen's direction.   
  


It wasn't a big hill but with bandaged feet that caught on to every single goddamn twig and wood chip, it took Tryffin a bit of time to clear out onto the other side. He smirked at his own cleverness and was close to being giddy as he thought of how irritated Ceilen would be to find him disobeying yet again. Too fucking bad! The man would just have to learn to ask nicely instead of just demanding all the time. 'Stay' indeed! He was no fucking dog!   
  


When Tryffin looked across the parking lot that he came out onto, the smirk was effective wiped off his face. A frown furrowed his brows when he saw Ceilen talking to Aya and Ken. Ceilen's back was to him so the man didn't see Tryffin but he sure as hell could recognize the grumpy snowman anywhere. What the hell was going on? Were they working together?   
  
Tryffin didn't think so since the tension between the men were intense enough to reach him where he was. He saw Ken stepped between the other two men and said something that made Ceilen cocked his head to the side. What were they doing?   
  


"Hey guys!" He called. If this was about his safety, surely they couldn't just leave him out!   
  


As the men turned to face him, Tryffin walked stiffly out from between the trees towards them. He frowned as he looked from one man to the other and came to stop next to Ceilen. "What's… going on here? You guys knew each other?"   
  
No one said anything for a while. Tryffin ignored the rising heat in the man next to him as he continued to look from one man to the other. Finally it was Ken who broke the silence.   
  
"What happened to you?" Ken asked as he eyed Tryffin's feet questioningly.   
  


"Ask my oh-so-resourceful bodyguard here." Tryffin said while giving Ceilen a dark look. It was the damn man's fault for dragging him out of the house without shoes.   
  


"What are you doing out here?" Tryffin heard the strain in Ceilen's voice as his protector gritted his teeth and glared at him.   
  


"Do you have any idea how hot and uncomfortable it is in that damn car of yours? You won't even let me open the god damn windows!" Tryffin retorted, his hands going to his hips.   
  


"Being uncomfortable is better than being dead!" Ceilen hissed back.   
  


"Do I look dead to you?" Tryffin countered.   
  


Tryffin was surprised when Ceilen growled and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Apparently, the man's fuse was much shorter than Tryffin had thought.   
  


Before Tryffin could make nice, Ceilen looked back to Aya and asked, "You didn't plant the bug?"   
  
"Bug? It was them?" Tryffin chimed in excitedly. Were they finally getting somewhere?   
  


Aya shook his head. "One of our operatives found the signal by accident and tracked it here. We were told to check it out, to make sure…" Aya paused briefly before continuing, "Make sure that Tryffin is safe."   
  
Tryffin blinked and flashed Aya a huge grin. "Really?" Was Aya really worried about him?   
  
Ceilen gave Aya a look that clearly said he didn't buy it. Then he directed a totally pissed off look at Tryffin, and the 100-gigawatt smile dimmed slightly.   
  


Ceilen turned back to Aya and asked, "Why?"   
  


Yeah, why? Tryffin thought quizzically. Was his 48 hours up already? Did they believe that he was innocent?   
  


Aya gave Ceilen a calculated look and shrugged. "We don't question orders."   
  


Tryffin swallowed and nearly took a step back when he saw how that seemingly innocent statement affected Ceilen. His bodyguard stiffened and a terrifyingly dark look flashed across his face. Next to Aya, Ken flinched and placed a hesitant hand on Aya's arm.   
  


"Maybe you should." Ceilen said softly then he shook his head as if arguing with himself. "This has nothing to do with you. Don't get involved."   
  
At that moment, Aya's cell phone rang and the tall redhead turned away to answer it.   
  


"I can't believe you left the damn car!" Ceilen hissed at him and Tryffin gasped indignantly.   
  


"I can't believe you told me to 'stay'! Do I look like a fucking dog to you?" Tryffin hissed back and pushed his face to within a few inches of Ceilen's.   
  


"Don't make me answer that, you're not going to like it." Ceilen narrowed his eye at him and leaned forward, closing the distance between them.   
  


Before Tryffin could make a reply, he heard a throat clearing then someone asked, "Do you mind?"   
  


He turned to see Ken scowling darkly at them. He bit his lip and shuffled his feet, mortified that Ken had seen his spitting contest with Ceilen. His bodyguard, however, felt no such compunction and grabbed his arm before threatening the brunette gravely. "Stay away. This has nothing to do with you."   
  


Tryffin sighed and was about to tell Ceilen to remove the damn stick he had up his ass when Aya spoke suddenly.   
  


"It's too late." The man apparently was done with the call and was now very, very angry. "We're already involved."   
  
Ceilen didn't like that one little bit. He obviously felt that EVERYONE should do as he says. "Not yet." He shook his head. "Walk away now and you won't have to get involved."   
  
"I said it was too late." Aya's voice was hard and Ken moved to stand in front of him.   
  


"What's going on? Who was that, Aya?" Ken's voice was filled with fear. "What happened? Not the guys?"   
  


Aya looked at Ken and Tryffin saw his expression softened slightly. "Youji was shot. Omi is taking him to the hospital now." Then seeing Ken's horrified expression, he added quickly. "It's not serious. Omi said it was a warning so Koudo is going to be okay." He turned back to Ceilen and Tryffin swallowed hard. The man looked deadly serious. "You see; it's too late. They involved us when they touched one of ours. You wouldn't be able to get rid of us now no matter what you do."   
  


Tryffin looked from one unyielding man to the other, not understanding anything they were saying. Who were Youji and Omi and Kudou? What did the shooting have to do with him? Was it because of him? There were so many things he wanted to ask but Ceilen didn't look too generous just then. His stern bodyguard was studying Aya closely for a long while then he shook his head.   
  


"Baka." Ceilen muttered as he whirled on his feet, dragging Tryffin with him.   
  
"Hey! Wait a minute." Tryffin protest. "What's going on?"   
  


"Wait!" Ken called. "How do we contact you?"   
  
"You don't." Ceilen shouted over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around. "Why are they so stubborn?" He muttered when they were well into the trees. "They are in way over their heads!"   
  


"Shouldn't we find out if their friend is going to be okay?" Tryffin asked as he was being hauled back to the car.   
  


Ceilen didn't answer; his face was deep in thought as he dragged Tryffin along.   
  


"Ceilen!" Tryffin yanked his arm free and stopped moving. "Talk to me, man!"   
  


Ceilen turned and gave Tryffin a furious glare and reclaimed him with a firm grip on his wrist. Tryffin gasped as pain shot up his arm and Ceilen dropped his wrist immediately. His bodyguard took a few deep breaths, and then he said with apparent efforts, "We need to get under cover. It's not safe to be out in the open especially when they found out about Weiss' involvement."   
  


"What the hell is Weiss?" Tryffin asked in total confusion. His brain was overloaded with questions; he didn't even know where to begin asking. He looked back in the direction of the two men they'd left behind then turned back to Ceilen. "What's going on? Who are they?"   
  
"Later. Now I need to get you to safety." Ceilen made a sweeping motion with his arm, indicating that Tryffin should follow him and get back to their car.   
  
"Na-ah! You're gonna go back to your silent asshole mode and I'm gonna be banging my head against the wall for entertainment. Tell me now."   
  
Ceilen hissed and shook his head. "NO! It's a very long story. Later, I promise."   
  


Tryffin frowned but conceded. "You better make good on that promise." He grumbled as he walked on with Ceilen.   
  
"I always keep my promises." Ceilen said softly and Tryffin had the strangest feeling that the sentence was not yet complete…   
  


From somewhere in the depths of his consciousness, he could have sworn that it should have been… _'I always keep my promises, no da…'   
  
_

Tryffin shook his head at the strange voice in his mind. Who the hell uses 'no da' anymore? He sneaked a glance at his perpetually gloomy companion and felt his heart quickened.   
  


Willingly or not, he was unquestionably drawn towards the sullen man and he wasn't sure he liked it at all. This asshole talked to him however he wanted and expected Tryffin to just shut the fuck up and take it. And the worst part was he kinda fucking WANTED to! Didn't he say he was totally fucked up? Yeah, when this whole fucking thing is over, he's gonna find himself a shrink and get his head screwed on right!   
  
Only…he wasn't sure he wanted to.  

TBC…   
  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  


Thank you! Hope you enjoyed that, minna… Poor Chichiri, ne? Tasuki sure is getting to him. *grins*   
  
  


Please review and let me know what you think!


	5. Of Questions and Answers

**_Author's notes and warnings:_** Hello! Welcome back, no da! Thank you for your patience, I tried to get this out as soon as I could. Honest! I hope you like it.   
  


This chapter will have some lime, not a lot; I'm still teasing the boys. LOL. Yeah, I hope they don't carry a grudge, ne?   
  


Hugs and bright blessings to all my reviewers for FY and WK version, no da!!!   
  
**Xellas:**  *big grin* I'm glad you like the first part and even gladder *rolls eyes* that it succeeded in cheering you up. Huggles!

**Ambika**-**san**: Your Insight is coming along very nicely, indeed!  My only complaint?  More chapters, no da!!! And thank you for your feedback!

**Space** **Cat**:  LOL.  Thank you!  YOUR review certainly made MY day! ROFL…*shakes head*  Poor little birdie, ne?

**Bakachan**: *hugs bakachan right back*  LOL, er…do I owe you ten bucks now?  Ceilen certainly cracks in this chapter…  Thank you!!!

**Hcbenitez**: Here's more, more, more, no da!!!  I went to visit your site…what a lovely job you're doing!  Thank you for your encouragements!

**Keimei**: Finished all your essays?  LOL, I tend to do the same thing…queen of procrastinating, de gozaru…*shakes head*  And will you be sending me parts of your epic soon?  I'm dying to see what you've been up to, no da!  And the pics when ever you can. ^__^

**Whisper** **Reilman**: LOL…gomen, ne for inducing the 70's flashback…I hope it's nothing permanent? *giggles* You have no idea how much I enjoy your reviews.  Give me warm fuzzy feelings, no da… (((hugs)))

**Fallen** **Wind**:  Er…Shadow Myst? ^^  Thank you!  Heh, heh, the piercing was a bit too wild, for you?  LOL, I'm sure Chiri was thinking the same thing…

**Hana** **no** **Ceres**: *sniffles* Yeah, poor dream-Ceilen…I'm a bad, bad, author, no da…*hangs Head*  If I keep this up, I have a feeling they might go on strike… SO…I'll give them some lime this chapter. ^^  Thank you!

**Ayako**:  Nani?  Yaoi anime?  I don't know of many but the ones I've seen don't have it…I would love for someone to put it somewhere…*hentai grin* And Chiri is not mean, no da… He's just…just…misunderstood, yeah, that's it!  LOL.  But Tas-chan is definitely horny, no da!

**Eeyaatoe**:  Who, me? *looks around innocently* Hentai?  LOL.  Well, *whispers* yeah, but don't tell anyone, okay?

**Tearlesereph**:  ROFL  Um…you want the picture with or without Tryffin's…er…body part? *giggles*  I'm going to have to ask Hitari-chan…she's the artist.  I just write, no da!!! Thank you!

**Cindy** **Poo**:  Kawaii-chan!  How are you?  Thank for the comments!  LOL, am I really that predictable? *shakes head*  That's no good, na no da!  But I'm glad you like it!  (((hugs)))

**Midori** **Natari** **Himura**:  Thank you! Tasuki's relentless, ne?  He's really gonna get to Chichiri this chapter but you might like the outcome… .

**Sirrah**:  Heh heh heh, I got lots of stuff in my pocketssss, no da. Er…did I just do a Gollum?  Eeeew…  ((HUGS))

**Krysana**: Hi, moto-chan!  Thanks for all your feedback and mails!  Like the fanservice?  LOL.  That's for all the wonderful support I've been getting… Such wonderful people... *sniffles*

**Ashen** **Skies**: Wah!  I'm glad you like this version, no da!  Sorry, the WK part didn't appeal to you *teary eyes* … But next chapter I intend to torture Ran with lots of semi naked Kenken no da!  THAT may leads to who knows what, ne?  Thank you!

**FireKat**:  LOL.  Like the piercing? I'm a good girl, honest! I have no idea where these hentai thoughts are coming from… Must be Xellas' influence…  LOL.  Gomen, Xellas-chan!  Thank you for your support!

**Anushkajan**:  Wow, two in the morning…*cries*  I'm so touched, no da!!! Thank you!  I'm very glad that you like it!

**Methodic** **madness**:  Ah, this new name policy thing is driving me crazy, no da!  But I have to say, Methodic Madness is quite an impressive name…  Welcome back, no da!!! *hugs MM and throws confetti* Wheee!!!!  Thank you for your feedback, I'm thrilled you like the *ahem* yanking part!

**Seph** **Lorraine**: *get all warm and fuzzy*…again.  Thank you! *starry eyes*  I'm glad you like the FY version even if you're not too familiar with it.  I burst out laughing when I read your review where Chichiri told Tasuki to stay in the car!  *laughs*  Kawaii…  I might have Chiri slip a bit and it'll all be your fault!

Special thanks for my very diligent beta-reader, **_Hitari-chan_**.  Thank you sweety!  *great big hug*  Again, if there are still boo-boos, I probably went in and fiddled the Hitari's finished product, no da… *hugs Hitari-chan*

  
  
  
**A Fine Line - FY: **Chapter 5 – _Of Questions and Answers_

By Moonraven   
  
  
  


_(Day three, sometime after the last chapter)_   
  


"Okay… it's later, so what the hell is going on?" Tryffin asked with some irritation since the man next to him hadn't kept his part of the bargain and explain things to him.   
  


They'd left Aya and Ken for sometime now but the man still hadn't said a word. The only thing he kept doing was frown, glare at the road ahead of them and check the rear view mirror periodically. The man was paranoid and this whole fucking thing was making Tryffin nervous too.   
  


"Hello? Remember the 'I always keep my promises' thing? Well, you ain't keepin' em!"   
  
Instead of replying, Ceilen pressed a button on his steering wheel and a small screen that Tryffin hadn't noticed before blinked into life. It looked suspiciously like one of those radar thingies that you see in movies but never in a millions years expect to see one in real life let alone in a freaking car. A constant ping sounded every few seconds or so and Tryffin peered closer to get a better look.   
  


"Damn, you are something else, you know that?" Tryffin pointed to a small black dot blinking in and out on the screen. "What's that? Is that us right there?"   
  


"Don't touch the screen!" Ceilen warned sharply. "Instruments in this car are highly sensitive. Don't touch!"   
  


Tryffin pulled his hand back with a pout. "So, was that us?"   
  


"Yes."   
  


Oooh! He actually answered! Tryffin made a face but didn't say it out loud. "Why are we looking at ourselves? Shouldn't we be looking at where the others are?"   
  


Ceilen turned and looked at him briefly before turning back to the road again. "Is there anything around us on the screen?"   
  


Tryffin looked at the lonely little black dot and shook his head. "No, we're alone." He frowned as he looked up and out of the car. There were plenty of other cars around them. "How come these other cars aren't on the screen?"   
  


"They are of no concern to us." Ceilen said as he glanced sideways at the monitor. "We're watching out for Kritiker. They use a specialized communication unit in their vehicles. Signals or messages from these units can't be intercepted by anyone who doesn't have the same system. Because of that, it's easy to lock onto them. This particular radar is designed to pickup signals from those units. No blinks, no Kritiker."   
  


Tryffin could have sworn he'd stop breathing while Ceilen was talking. In all the time he had spent with the man, he had NEVER heard so many words coming out of the man's mouth. Damn!   
  


At Tryffin's silence, Ceilen turned an irritated frown towards the redhead. "What?" Ceilen asked the openmouthed Tryffin.   
  


Tryffin closed his mouth and grinned. "Wow, That was… great. But… who's Kritiker? And who's Weiss?" Since the man was in the talking mood, maybe he'd tell Tryffin a thing or two.   
  


A brief hesitation, then Ceilen sighed. "Kritiker is Weiss and Weiss is Kritiker. They are the same."   
  


Tryffin waited for more but nothing else came. With an exasperated snort, he turned in his seat and glared at Ceilen.   
  


"That's it?!" He yelled. "All that shit about later you'll tell me EVERYTHING… and that was fucking it?! I was so freaking proud of you for spouting all that shit about their communication system, man, I take that all back!"   
  


Ceilen didn't look happy at being yelled at but that was too fucking bad. "It's very complicated. You wouldn't understand."   
  


"I'm not a complete idiot, try me."   
  


"I didn't think you were." Ceilen frowned at nothing in particular as he ran a hand through his hair.   
  


"So… why wouldn't I understand?" Tryffin pushed.   
  


Ceilen sighed in exasperation. "EVERYTHING is a very long and involved story. I can't summarize the things I'd lived with half my life in just a few minutes! It'll have to be later!"   
  


"Okay… 'later' when?"   
  


"When we're safely on our way."   
  


"On our way where?" Wasn't the Bat Cave their hideout?   
  


"Do you ever shut up?" Ceilen turned and asked then held up his hand and shook his head. "Never mind, DON'T answer that."   
  


Tryffin smiled and relaxed in his seat. "So… which buttons CAN I touch?"   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Ceilen pulled into the broken down structure they were in the night before and closed the door. The floor dropped down once again and he drove underground. When, at last, they'd stopped, Ceilen turned off the engine. He reached up and turned on the small light then turned to face Tryffin. He looked hard at the redhead silently for a few seconds, and then sighed in resignation.   
  


"I can only give you a brief background for now. We really don't have much time."   
  


Tryffin nodded. It certainly was better than nothing.   
  


"Kritiker is a very large organization that takes out – eliminate, if you will - people that the conventional law enforcement agencies cannot. They don't answer to any authorities except Persia, their leader. Unfortunately, there are bad people in that organization and they were the ones that took out Shitahara. Thinking that you may have witnessed something, I guess they are after you as well."   
  


"Okay… whoa… hold on… What people can't the police handle? Are you talking about those terrorists? Are they, like, an anti-terrorist group or something?"   
  


"No. They are more like vigilantes. Some people in this society are untouchable because of various factors. Some are very powerful themselves and own the authorities. Some have connections, while others are too clever to leave traceable trails. Sometimes unorthodox methods are the only way to take them down."   
  


Tryffin digested this for a moment before he ventured on again. "When you say there are bad people, are there good people too?"   
  


Ceilen nodded. "Most of Kritiker are good, decent people who fight to keep the world safe from evil. It's hard to tell them apart sometimes and the defining line between good and evil isn't always clear. If you're not careful, you can end up on the other side easily."   
  


Tryffin looked sharply at his companion as Ceilen's voice dropped noticeably when he said the last sentence. It was almost as if the man had experienced it himself.   
  


"What do Aya and Ken have to do with them?" There were tons of things running around in his head but he had to choose his questions carefully. Their version of Twenty Questions was probably more like 5 questions.   
  


"They are Weiss, a part of Kritiker. There are many teams out there and they are one of them."   
  


"Are they with the good Kritiker or the bad one?"   
  


"I'm thinking that they are good." Ceilen said with something that COULD have been a smile.   
  


Tryffin sighed in relief. THAT was a piece of good news. "Look, I know Shitahara was doing some pretty bad shit, so why would taking him out be considered 'bad'?"   
  


This time there was a long pause and Tryffin thought that Ceilen wasn't going to say anything.   
  


"Shitahara was part of Kritiker; the bad part. He was blackmailing some of the other members who were equally bad, so they had him removed. He's one of the older members. He's done a lot of harm. It's actually a good thing that he's gone."   
  


"But I didn't see anything." Tryffin protested. "Aya had some guy drug me and carry me off. When I came to, I was right outside rabid with Kouji and some medic."   
  


"They don't know that." Ceilen said and reached up to turn off the light. "Weiss must be going soft themselves if they are allowing witnesses to remain alive." Ceilen said into the darkness but before Tryffin could ask more questions, Ceilen opened the car door. Tryffin sighed unhappily; he was actually enjoying the time they were spending together especially now that Ceilen was talking to him. He didn't want it to end so soon and have the man turn into a snowcactus. Heh, heh, heh, he actually had THAT mental image of the icy, prickly man.   
  


"So… if we're running from the 'bad' Kritiker, why can't we get the 'good' Kritiker to help us?" He asked Ceilen as the generator came on and the cave was bathed in the pale fluorescent light. "Don't they want to clean up the house, so to speak?"   
  


Ceilen walked briskly ahead of him to the corridor leading to his room. He paused briefly but continued walking as he answered Tryffin.   
  


"It has nothing to do with them."   
  


"So you've told Aya and Ken, repeatedly. But the way I see it, it's got more to do with THEM than it has to do with YOU." He watched Ceilen's stiff back get even stiffer and continued, "Or is there something else you've left out? You know, like what does all this have to do with you?"   
  


They reached Ceilen's room and the man went straight to his desk, putting files into the cardboard boxes and disconnecting his laptop and his printer. "Traitors inside Kritiker were responsible for the deaths of my parents."   
  


Ceilen spoke without emotion; no one would have guessed that they were talking about something that was so close to the man's heart. Tryffin stared at his bodyguard in shock but Ceilen kept putting things away as if he hadn't spoken about anything so sensitive.   
  


"I'm sorry, man." Tryffin muttered; feeling subdued all of a sudden. "I've lost my parents, too." He offered in ways of consolation though he wasn't sure why. Ceilen sure as hell didn't need his sympathy. He didn't even look like he'd cared when he spoke of his parents' deaths.   
  


Surprisingly, the man stopped what he was doing and looked up at Tryffin. His eye clouded for a second and Tryffin thought he had seen gratitude but as it vanished as quickly as it came, Tryffin was left to wonder if that was it at all. Ceilen stared at him mutely for a few seconds then nodded briskly and went back to his stuff again.   
  


"Need help?" Tryffin offered and moved to put the lids on boxes that looked like they were done.   
  


Ceilen looked like he was about to say no, so Tryffin added nonchalantly, "It'll be faster, that way, we can get out of here."   
  


As he had suspected, Ceilen seemed to have a thing for efficiency, for he nodded and shoved more boxes Tryffin's way.   
  


A few minutes later they were done; there weren't all that much to begin with. The room was now empty except for the desk, the nightstand, the bed and the chest. Everything else was in the boxes and Ceilen started to carry them out the door.   
  


"Dude, we're not gonna get all this in your car." Tryffin commented as he picked up two boxes at a time.

"We're not going in my car."   
  


Tryffin frowned at the hesitation he heard in Ceilen's voice. They hadn't known each other very long but Tryffin was beginning to know some of Ceilen's moods and tones of voice. That was definitely the 'I don't-know-if-I-should-tell-you' voice.   
  


"Why do I feel like I'm not gonna like this?" Tryffin asked as the rounded the corridor going away from the Bat Cave. The passageway curve downward and Tryffin felt a cold draft coming from somewhere up ahead. He didn't like it at all; it smelled too much like the sea.   
  


"Ceilen?" Tryffin stopped walking and stared nervously down the path.   
  


Ceilen turned to look at the younger man thoughtfully. He didn't seem irritated or surprised that Tryffin had decided to take root in the middle of the corridor and THAT made Tryffin even more nervous. Ceilen was prepared for his reaction.   
  


"Why don't you put the boxes on the floor then go back and bring the rest here? I'll go down and put these away and come back for those later." Ceilen suggested quietly.   
  


"Er… okay, good idea." Tryffin hastily put his burden down and rushed back for the others. Ceilen knew that he hated – okay, he was terrified – of the water… so, was he being kind? He was actually being considerate? Awww… that was so sweet! Tryffin found himself grinning like an idiot at the thought of Ceilen being nice to him. Heh, heh, heh, he likes me! Tryffin snickered to himself as he fetched the rest of the boxes and waited for Ceilen in the middle of the corridor.   
  


Ceilen came back up and took two boxes at a time then disappeared down the passage again. Tryffin chewed on his bottom lip and shuffled in place agitatedly. He couldn't very well let Ceilen do all the work. The man was kind enough to spare him the horror of being by the sea, surely he could be considerate enough to help him bring his stuff closer to where ever it was he was putting them.   
  


With that thought, Tryffin picked up a file box and trudged down after his bodyguard. He wondered what Ceilen had in mind for them? Why store away all the stuff? Where were they going? Wouldn't he be needing these things? And when the hell was the man going to get him some clothes?   
  


Occupied with his thoughts, Tryffin didn't realize that he had reached his destination and nearly fell off the stoned walkway when it abruptly changed into rough wooden planks. He stopped and stared in horror when he saw that he was now looking at a very large under ground cave that apparently sat right on the ocean. There was water and everything! The wooden planks were in fact a makeshift pier, which led right onto a big black boat.   
  


Tryffin had no use for correct names for boats, they were basically the same; they stayed on water that he stayed off of, therefore were never important enough for him to remember. All he knew was that this was one of them big boats that people can stay forever on. He hated boats. They were WAY too close to the water.   
  


"What are you doing here?" Ceilen's calm voice brought Tryffin back from his waking nightmare, which involved a very wet and very dead him. Tryffin stared apprehensively at his bodyguard – who, by the way, was supposed to keep him from being very wet and very dead – then handed him the box.   
  


"I thought I'd help you." He said quietly. "Tell me we're NOT going in that." He pointed to the big boat, not wanting Ceilen to misunderstand him.   
  


Ceilen looked at him for a second or so before saying solemnly, "We're not going in that."   
  


"Man, I don't believe you!" Tryffin backed away and shook his head. "You mean it? Promise?"   
  


Ceilen frowned and put down the box slowly then straightened up and faced Tryffin. "It's quite safe."   
  


"Try telling that to my parents!" Tryffin growled and backed away from Ceilen. "That's what they thought about their damn boat too!" He spun on his heels and dashed up the walkway, determined to get the hell out of there. What the hell did Ceilen know anyway?   
  


A firm grip on his wrist brought him to an abrupt stop and Tryffin tugged with all his might to get free. Instead Ceilen pulled him back and he crashed clumsily into the man. Ceilen wrapped one arm around Tryffin's waist while the other steadied them against the wall so they wouldn't slam into it.   
  


Tryffin's heart thundered in his chest more from their current position than from his fear of the water. Somehow, all thoughts of that left his mind as he stared into the serious brown eye just inches from his own. Ceilen pressed into him like he was afraid that Tryffin would balk any moment and maybe he would've if his legs would start working.   
  


Tryffin swallowed and looked away from the searching eye and mumbled, "You must think I'm a wimp or something."   
  


Ceilen didn't say anything for a long time and Tryffin turned his head back defiantly, to look into what he thought would be contempt in Ceilen's eye.   
  


But there was no contempt, only puzzlement as Ceilen continued to search his face for… who the heck knows what.   
  


"What I think doesn't matter." Ceilen's voice was matter of fact but his eye still held a hint of confusion.   
  


Tryffin looked away again and slumped against the wall. Ceilen loosened his grip around Tryffin's waist but didn't release him, making the younger man even more flustered than he was. Tryffin couldn't understand the sense of comfort and security he felt with Ceilen so close. Was it because he knew the man was a very good bodyguard? Was it because he knew that Ceilen was hired to protect him, so being around the man made him feel safe? Tryffin wasn't sure of the reason, all he knew was that when Ceilen held him this close, he felt no fear at all… ocean or no ocean…   
  


But Ceilen knew he was afraid. Ceilen didn't deny that he thought Tryffin was a wimp. "Go ahead and laugh." He said softly as he looked at his bandaged feet. "It's not only because of my parents' deaths, I've always been afraid of water. Well, not ALL water but just the large bodies of water…" Why the hell was he explaining this to Ceilen?   
  


To his ultimate surprise, Ceilen didn't laugh. Instead, he said, "Everyone is afraid of something. It's nothing to be ashamed of."   
  


Tryffin looked up in his astonishment and gaped at the man. Ceilen studied him somberly, his one beautiful brown eye boring deep into Tryffin's soul, as if he needed to see for himself what made the redhead tick. Tryffin held his breath; the man was truly breathtaking.   
  


Without thinking, Tryffin lifted a hand and gently brushed away Ceilen bangs to reveal the dark eye patch. Ceilen stiffened immediately but didn't pull away. Encouraged, Tryffin trailed his fingers down the side of Ceilen's face while his eyes fixed themselves on Ceilen's wide, sensual mouth. Tryffin licked his lips unconsciously as he wondered what Ceilen tasted like. Would he ever get the chance with Ceilen?   
  


"What are YOU afraid of?" Tryffin asked softly as he leaned forward ever so slightly.   
  


Ceilen blinked but didn't pull away. His eye still remained locked with Tryffin's and the redhead used this opportunity to move even closer. He could hardly believe that Ceilen was allowing him this close…   
  


"I…" Ceilen stopped there and frowned. Tryffin didn't like Ceilen frowning. It meant the man was going back to the Super-bodyguard mode and THAT meant no more snugglies for Tryffin. Tryffin liked Ceilen where he was, pressing close against him.   
  


Unfortunately, one of Tryffin's body parts also liked Ceilen pressed up against him… a whole lot, and soon Ceilen himself became aware of Tryffin's hardening problem. With a small gasp and a surprised look, Ceilen moved to pull away but Tryffin snaked his hand behind Ceilen's neck and held him fast.   
  


"You didn't answer me." Tryffin's eyes challenged Ceilen to stay where he was.   
  


"I don't have to." Ceilen's eye narrowed as he accepted the challenge.   
  


"You're afraid of… this." Tryffin thrust his hips forward slightly and ground his erection into Ceilen.   
  


The man gasped again at Tryffin's boldness and this time, succeeded in pulling away. He stared at Tryffin strangely from a foot away and the redhead clearly saw massive confusion and something that was very close to fear in Ceilen's eye.   
  


"You're wrong." Ceilen said.   
  


Tryffin raised his brows in mock astonishment. "Really?' He smiled and pushed himself off the wall then laughed as Ceilen took a step back immediately. "Then why are you running away?"   
  


"I'm not… we have to finish loading the Black Hawk. We don't have much time before we set sail." Ceilen predictably regained his composure and the mask of indifference was back on his face.   
  


At the mention of sailing, Tryffin started to panic again and shook his head. He was okay a minute ago, why did the man have to mention sailing? "Look… we don't have to go on the boat, right? You said we weren't going on it."   
  


Ceilen frowned again. "You were fine just now, what happened?"   
  


You were closer, Tryffin wanted to say but luckily didn't. One rejection per day was his limit, thank you, very much.   
  


"I wasn't thinking about the water…" I was thinking about fucking you.   
  


"Well… then think about whatever it was you were thinking about, so we can get going."   
  


Tryffin looked pointedly at his sometimes-clueless bodyguard and cocked his head to one side. To Tryffin's surprise, he thought he saw a trace of something definitely pink across the bridge of Ceilen's nose before Ceilen hastily looked away. Was the man blushing?   
  


"Don't tell me you're afraid of gay men." Tryffin fished for information… he wasn't sure of Ceilen's sexual preference but the fact that the man had held him and allowed him to caress his face had given Tryffin a ray of hope.   
  


"I'm not."   
  


Damn! That didn't tell him anything. He was going to have to come up with something else.   
  


"You're just afraid of me then?"   
  


Ceilen turned and gave him a 'say WHAT?' look but didn't deem it worth his royal pain in the ass' time to respond so he just stood there and stared at Tryffin.   
  


The redhead, on the other hand, was getting royally pissed at the disdainful look the other man was giving him so he turned and started up the passage again. "I don't need this shit…" he muttered and marched purposely along the path, fully intending on walking back to Kouji's place, to hell with assassins.   
  


"Where are you going?" Ceilen's exasperated voice called very close to his heels, making Tryffin eeped with a start.   
  


Without stopping or looking around, Tryffin barked at his soon to be ex-bodyguard. "Home!"   
  


Ceilen grabbed him again and this time pushed him none too gently against the stoned wall of the corridor. "We don't have time for this nonsense, Tryffin. We're leaving and we're leaving now." Ceilen's face was just inches from his and if Tryffin leaned over just a tiny bit he could brush his lips against Ceilen's, but he wasn't in the mood so that was just gonna have to wait.   
  


"I'm not going." He said stubbornly even though he had a pretty good idea that if Ceilen wanted him on the boat, he was going on the boat. But he didn't have to like it, and he was certainly not going to make it easy on the man!

But Ceilen surprised him again. Instead of demanding and dragging the redhead to the boat, his features softened as he looked earnestly into Tryffin's amber eyes.   
  


"I won't let anything happen to you, Tryffin." Ceilen told him seriously. "I promise."   
  


Tryffin melted and melted… and if Ceilen weren't holding him, he would have been a big gooey puddle at the man's feet. Damn him! And as he looked into that grave brown eye, he found himself drawn into that safe warm place he was earlier and the fear of the deep dark unknown was no longer crowding in on him. He was no longer panicking and he wondered if Ceilen knew of the effect he had on the redhead.   
  


"NO." Tryffin said, and then winced when he heard how that made him sound like a pouting brat. He lifted his chin defiantly even though he knew the other man had won; appearances were important, damn it!   
  


"Yes." Ceilen said softly and unexpectedly leaned in. Tryffin widened his eyes in shock but before he could react, he felt pressure at the base of his neck and everything started to turn black.   
  


Damn it, not again!   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  


Kouji couldn't take his eyes off the youngster standing a few feet away. The young man had the most amazing shade of hair Kouji had ever seen. Pink was not something any man could pull off; especially in hair color but the boy was an exception with a capital "X". Combined with his laughing brown eyes and the ultra sexy, black school uniform, the boy was completely irresistible. Kouji watched as the snug fitting pants hugged the slim hips and perfect round ass, and sighed audibly as the young man moved his arms making the short black coat pull taut over his broad back.   
  


Kouji absently wondered which university the boy attended and how old he was. High school uniforms were sometimes very similar to the universities' and Kouji hoped he was right in guessing that the young man was older than high schoolers… He did not want kids. Tryffin had been an exception when they first met but then the redhead had never looked THAT young. This one still held an air of innocence that drew Kouji in like the proverbial moth to the flames…   
  


"Can I help you?" Those laughing brown eyes were now looking at him inquiringly and Kouji wondered how the hell did he come to stand in front of the kid. Damn, he was even cuter up close!   
  


"Er…" Kouji looked around the cafeteria frantically. "What's good today?" Tryffin would have sprinted over from where ever he was and smacked him upside the head if he knew what an idiot Kouji was.   
  


The gorgeous face broke into a smile and the young man turned to the array of foods then pointed to several dishes of pasta. "I heard that those are the best though I haven't tried them myself." His voice was warm and husky, making Kouji's hentai mind go into overdrive.   
  


"Thanks, maybe we could try them together."   
  


The young man blinked at him and Kouji realized that his comment about trying the food together might not have registered well. "I meant if you haven't eaten, maybe you could try them. I know I am. My name's Kouji." He said and held out his hand, relieved that some of his poise and charms had returned.   
  


The boy nodded as he shook Kouji's hand and his smile got brighter. "Shinji Terada." When Kouji didn't let his hand go right away, he saw Shinji blushed and the boy lowered his eyes. Kawaii!   
  


"I'm sorry." Kouji cleared his throat and let the boy go. Judging from Shinji's reaction, Kouji's attentions were certainly not unwelcome.   
  


"Do you come here often? I haven't seen you here before." Smooth, Kouji, very smooth. If it wouldn't look completely idiotic, Kouji would have rolled his eyes at his own comments. Those were the oldest pick-up lines EVER!   
  


The blush remained on Shinji's face as he shook his head. So the boy was aware of what Kouji was doing. And he was still talking to Kouji… interesting.   
  


"I have a school assignment around here so I stopped by for lunch."   
  


"Lucky me." Kouji said softly, making the younger man blush even brighter before looking away. "What school do you go to? Your uniform doesn't look familiar."   
  


"It's a private university… it's not very big." That would explain the exotic crest on the uniform. Well, at least he was not too young. "How about you? Do you work around here?"   
  


"No, not around here but I'm checking out something at the police station next door and I usually eat here when I do."   
  


Shinji narrowed an eye speculatively at him. "Usually? Do you work with the police then?"   
  


"From time to time. My business is in securities so… we help each other now and then." Kouji said and then ushered the younger man to the line. "How about I buy you lunch and we can talk some more." Kouji suggested, his hand resting lightly on the small of Shinji's back and his eyes bore heatedly into the Shinji's. He couldn't help it. This young man was making every pore in his body steamed up and Kouji could not let him get away.   
  


Shinji swallowed and nodded. "That would be very nice, thank you."   
  


Kouji smiled. "The pleasure's all mine." If he played his cards right, he wouldn't have to sleep alone tonight.   
  


Occupied with his silent elation, Kouji completely missed the exchanged of glances between his hopeful conquest and a strange red-haired woman. The woman got up and then after a last look at the pink haired young man, nodded briskly and left the cafeteria.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Tryffin had a horrible headache. It started at the base of his neck and ran all the way up the back of his head to end somewhere in the back of his eyes. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to relieve the pain but the movement brought more pain to the base of his neck. What the…?   
  


Then he remembered. His eyes shot open and he looked around frantically. He was on a small bed in a room of some kind. The bed was pushed up against one wall and the wall had a small round window…   
  


NANI? Round window? Normal rooms didn't have round windows. And rooms in caves certainly didn't have any windows let alone a round one. Boats have round windows… Why DO they have round windows…?   
  


No, no, no, no…. It can't be. He shot up in bed and regretted it immediately. His head obviously didn't approve of the sudden movement and Tryffin clutched at it in vain.   
  


"How are you feeling?"   
  


That voice. He knew that voice. Tryffin growled but didn't lift his head from his hands. He was in too much agony right then to adequately inflict terrible pain on Ceilen so he would settle for comforting his aching head instead. There'll be plenty of time later to properly plan and carry out any satisfactory dismemberment of a certain one-eyed bodyguard.   
  


"I've made you some tea for the headache." That horrible voice – beautiful when Tryffin wasn't mad at him – continued and Tryffin felt the foot of the bed dipped slightly as Ceilen sat down. "It will make the pain go away."   
  


"I wouldn't HAVE the pain if it weren't for you!" Tryffin growled into his hand, refusing to look up. The man had the nerve to do some pressure point shit on him and now he fucking offered tea? What the hell was wrong with this picture?   
  


"It was necessary." Ceilen said simply.   
  


"The hell it was!" He barked at Ceilen and drew his legs up beneath him and scooted further up the bed, away from the other man. He'd trusted Ceilen. He'd never thought the man would resort to something this… this… underhanded. He could have accepted it if Ceilen had thrown him over his shoulder and marched him on the boat, but to knock him out? That was… sneaky!   
  


He heard Ceilen sighed but didn't look up and continued to remain curled up in one corner of the bed. He wasn't sure what he was feeling; they were all jumbled up inside him like a big whirlwind of emotions. He was terrified to death of where he was but he was angry as hell too. The pain in his head didn't help and he couldn't think straight. Gods, he wished he were unconscious again so he wouldn't feel any of this, so he wouldn't know that he was on the thing that he feared the most in his entire life.   
  


"I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You are safe with me." Ceilen voice was soft but firm and Tryffin didn't have any doubt that he meant every word of it. What Ceilen didn't realize was that it made no difference to someone who was as scared as he was.   
  


"Where the hell are we?" Tryffin asked gruffly. And someone better help Ceilen if the man said they were at sea. Tryffin knew they were at sea; he just wanted to know WHERE at sea.   
  


"You've been unconscious for about 6 hours now. I didn't think you'd be out so long…" That wasn't the answer he was looking for but it told him two things, nonetheless. They were about 6 hours away from Tokyo and Ceilen was worried about him… the latter was more of a feeling than deduction but surely he was right?   
  


He raised his head slightly and peered at the man from between his fingers. Ceilen sat frowning at him, holding a round ceramic teacup.   
  


Tryffin snorted and held out his hand for the cup. "Don't tell me you were worried." Ceilen handed him the tea silently and watched him drink. Tryffin downed the hot content then handed Ceilen the cup. "You know I'm gonna beat the shit out of you when I feel better, right?"   
  


The corner of Ceilen's lips quirked slightly and he shrugged. "You're welcome to try."   
  


Aw, man, he was SO gonna get it. What arrogance! He was about to tell Ceilen so when the man started to become blurry. Tryffin blinked several times to clear his vision and noticed that his headache was better. But now everything else was swaying madly. "What… what kind of tea?" He mumbled and collapsed back on the bed.   
  


"The kind that will keep troubled dreams away." He heard Ceilen say softly but he couldn't be sure. He felt Ceilen stretch him out and arranged the blanket over him. He tried to keep his eyes open but everything was spinning violently. He moaned and surrendered to the darkness once again.   
  


~*~*~   
  


This time when Tryffin woke, he felt no pain but the terror was still there. He cried out and buried his head under the pillow and drew himself into the fetal position. Oh gods, he was going to die, he was going to die. They would sink and disappear into the dark bottomless water and never be seen again.   
  


A gentle hand rested firmly on his shoulder and he whimpered into the mattress.   
  


"Tryffin." Ceilen called softly but Tryffin didn't want to move. If he stayed very still, maybe the boat wasn't going to tip over and they would be okay. "I thought you wanted to beat the shit out of me." Ceilen's voice sounded smug and just for a fraction of a second, Tryffin nearly lost his fear and jumped the man.   
  


When Tryffin didn't respond, Ceilen continued, "Would talking help keep your mind off the… problem?"   
  


"NO!" Tryffin managed to yell into the matress yet made it sound angry enough.   
  


Ceilen was silent for a long time then he surprised Tryffin with, "In the cave, you said…that you were thinking about something that… kept your mind off the… current problem." There was a long pause from both parties; Ceilen wasn't quite sure how to go on and Tryffin wasn't quite sure he'd heard the man right. Was he offering… Nah!   
  


But Tryffin remembered how he'd felt safe in Ceilen's arms. It'd felt right and the dream he had when he was sleeping in the cave on Ceilen's bed flashed across his mind. The feeling of total peace and utter joy at being in the arms of the blue-haired man was so opposite of what he was feeling now that he wanted to feel them again. He wanted to feel safe and Ceilen had made him feel safe.   
  


Tryffin snaked a hand from under the blanket and grabbed Ceilen's wrist. He held on tight and pulled the man closer to him. Ceilen hesitated but then climbed into the bed to lie down along side him. Tryffin came out from under the pillow and pressed himself against the stiff Ceilen.   
  


"Hold me?" He asked in a small voice. "Just hold me." He buried his head in Ceilen's shoulder, drinking in the warm familiar scent that had always managed to make him feel loved and contented. Ceilen remained frozen next to Tryffin but at least he didn't push the redhead away. Then after a few moments of what Tryffin guessed to be pure shock, Ceilen slipped his arm under Tryffin's head and pulled the other man against him. Ceilen turned his body slightly towards Tryffin and then draped his other arm across Tryffin's waist, holding the younger man securely.   
  


Tryffin snuggled closer and sighed into his bodyguard's neck. This was it. This was the feeling of completeness he had felt in his dream. This was perfection and if he were to die now, he wouldn't care less.   
  


"Ceilen." He murmured contentedly into the man's neck and unconsciously rubbed his face against the soft warm skin. He took a deep breath, filling his whole being with the scent of the man. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more. Moving so that he was half on top of his shocked-induced-stillness bodyguard, Tryffin opened his mouth and began sucking on Ceilen's neck.   
  


Ceilen started almost violently and tried to move away from Tryffin's questing mouth. But as he stretched his neck trying to get away, it provided the redhead with more area to explore and explore it he did. Before long, Ceilen's little gasps turned less shocked and more pleasured and Tryffin smirked against the smooth skin as he made his way along the strong jaw line toward the temptingly parted lips.   
  


But it wasn't Tryffin that took the last step to bring their lips together. Ceilen surprised Tryffin yet again when he let out a low growl and rolled Tryffin onto his back and devoured his mouth. The redhead wasn't about to complain, it didn't matter who kissed whom, just as long as they were kissing. He opened his mouth eagerly when Ceilen thrust his tongue between his lips and rubbed his own tongue ardently against Ceilen's. He moaned and thrust his hips up into the man and nearly cried out with joy when he felt an answering hardness above him.   
  


Gods, this was too good to be true; Ceilen wanted him!   
  


"Please, Ceilen, please…" He moaned when Ceilen released his lips and began his own quest down the redhead's neck. "Gods…" Tryffin moaned again when Ceilen pulled his t-shirt up and ran heated hands across his chest and stomach.   
  


Tryffin arched up and pressed his aching chest into Ceilen's tongue as the man sucked and licked his nipples. Tryffin ran his hands through Ceilen's soft brown hair as he held the man's head close to his body. In his frenzy to touch Ceilen, Tryffin snagged his fingers in the string that held Ceilen's eye patch in place and it broke with a distinct snap.   
  


Ceilen froze.   
  


Tryffin froze.   
  


Oh, shit. No, no, no, no, no…   
  


With a choking cry, Ceilen pushed away from the bed and stumbled towards the door of the cabin. With his face half obscured by the long bangs; Ceilen turned to look at the stunned young man on the bed one last time before he bolted out the door and slammed it shut behind him.   
  


Tryffin blinked at the closed door and thought hard about the expressions he saw on Ceilen's face. There were quite a few of them ranging from disbelief to shock to fear. He thought he saw disgust as well but he was willing to bet that the man was disgusted with himself rather than with Tryffin. Still it was not a comforting thought to have a make-out session with someone and then have them run out the door in horror.   
  


And now he was all alone with his fears. Tryffin panicked again and hugged his knees to his chest. The movement brought a small hard object under his leg and he pulled it out absently. It was Ceilen's cell phone.   
  


He stared at it hard for a few moments and looked up at the door. He looked back down to the phone again and a small nervous smile crossed his lips.   
  


Serve you right for drugging me and then running out on me, you bastard! Tryffin thought as he flipped open the phone. So much for no one knowing where he was…   
  


TBC… 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Moonraven's notes:

Heh, heh, heh…gomen, gomen.  I really don't think they are ready for anything more just yet… I'll feed them lime every chapter now though…just to keep the juices running…O.O  

Er…I didn't just write that…did I?  *looks at the last paragraph*  Ooops…Where the hell are these hentai muses coming from!!!!

Hehehehe, and isn't Tasuki-chan a bit aggressive today?  

*runs off to write Silent Series*  I promise to get to WK-6 real soon, maybe I'll write them at the same time, no da!


	6. Of Deceptions and Revelations

**Author's notes and warnings:**  Gomen nasai! *bows very low*  I know this chapter is very, very late.  I was very sick for a while and couldn't get anything done!  I hope you'll all forgive me! *big, gigantic puppy dog eyes*

This chapter has a bit more Kouji/Chiriko than I had intended… Once I started writing, I couldn't stop.  Please let me know what you think of them, especially Chiriko.  

Warning: very mean Chichiri at one point, which leads to a very sad Tasuki…

Mounds and mounds of gratitude for my reviewers:  (I know it gets long so just scroll down if you want to start the fic ^_^)

**_Sakata Ri Houjun:_** Arigatou, no da! ^_^  LOL…yeah, not a lot of Chiriko anything out there, let alone a slash pairing, ne?  Glad you like it.  How have you been?  Any new chapters coming out on any of your fics?

**_Lola:_** *giggles along with Lola*  I am evil, no daaaa…..!!!  Will make them wait… anou… but maybe not too long or they may go on strike on me, ne?  Thank you!!

**_Space Cat:_** Wah!  I love the Tasuki all cute and needing his Chiri too!  Well, I'm the pro strong Chiri writer so that's a given, ne?  But Tasuki's going to have his moments too… *sigh*  Thank you for your review!

**_Xellas:_** *laughs* Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got lime in my tummy…  Er…gomen…*laughs* but when I read your review that's what came to mind!  And do I even want to know what naughty images are popping up with Ceilen's 'thing for efficiency'?  HUGS!!!  Thanks, Xellas, for all your input!  Love ya to pieces!!!

**_Celeste1:_**  Ah…gomen, gomen…the chapters are taking a bit long but I promise to start the WK-7 right away.  Thank you so much for hopping to FY fandom to read this.  I'm glad you like it!

**_Midori Natari Himura:_** Arigatou!  Yes, Tas-chan was a bit…*ahem*… frisky, ne?  LOL. Chichiri obviously thinks that he's sexy too… Glad you like!  ^_^

**_Ashen Skies:_** LOL.  Ah, my muses and yours are definitely partying!  Thank you!! I'm really tickled pink that you like it!

**_Fallen Wind:_** *sigh* Yeah, Chiri has a lot of issues…poor baby.  But you are so right!  Tasuki's gonna make him all better, ne?  Thank you!!!  ^__^

**_Bakachan!:_**  Hello!  Thank you for your kind email!  I was very touched, no da…  (((hugs bakachan and wubear)))  And yes, the pink hair dude is Chiriko.  He and Manx won't hurt Kouji…much…*laughs* Just kidding!  I think Kouji may just like what Chiriko has in mind…*whistles innocently*  And I will try to get SS and WK out at the same time, so Wufei better be ready with that panda suit…   Thank you, sweetie!

**_Methodic Madness:_** Heh, heh, heh…well… Unresolved sexual tensions can be quite electrifying, ne? Can't have them hopping into each other's pants just yet…but it's coming… Thank you!

**_Carter Tachikawa:_** Thank you for coming back!  ^_^  Yes, an aggressive Tasuki is a good thing…Chiri better watch out, ne?

**_Tearlesereph:_** WAH!!! *cries* I'm so sorry!!!  I don't write as fast a so many writers out there and some of the things I have to research just aren't cooperating!  Gomen, gomen, I'll try much harder, no da!!

**_Hcbenitez:_** Isn't Tasuki all cuddly?  I love him like that too…  Thank you for your review!

**_Ambika-san:_** Hiya!  How's Insight, no da?  LOL.  You get a really pivotal chapter to write, don't ya!  It's going to be just great, I know it! ^_^  How's school?  Thank you for taking the time to review!  (((HUGS)))

**_Yuki Bombay:_** ^__^  Heh, heh, heh…need a mop?  Ooops, I forgot, Kenken threw it overboard, no da…  thank you for your review!

**_FireKat:_**  Nani?  Me? *looks around innocently* Mean?  *cackles evilly*  You haven't seen mean, no da!  Mwaaaahahahah!!!  Thank you!!!

**_Zeto:_** LOL…no, no, no!  Not Shuuichi, Chiriko! Yuki's gonna have my head if I let Kouji anywhere near his Shu-chan, ne?  Thank you for your compliment. *blushes*  Gives me warm, fuzzy feelings, no da…

**_SLL:_**  Wai!  Sorry about the lime! ^_^  I guess, that'll work too, ne?  Most of the stuff is pretty PG-13 anyway, but I will warn you when limes or lemons are gonna show up, okay?  Thank you!

**_Kouryou Sanomi:_** O__O;;  Nani?!  Updating, no daaaa……  

**_Cindy Poo:_**  *grins*  I'm glad you like, no da!  LOL. I'm sorry, I AM mean…and the boys are glaring at me like you wouldn't believe!  But I promise to make it all better soon, ne?  Hugs!!!

**_Krysana:_** LOL. *hugs moto-chan* I aim to please, ne?  I'm so glad you like it!  Now I'm going to write WK and give you more RanKen goodness, okay?  ((HUGS))

**_Hana no Ceres:_** *giggles* I love reading your review…cracks me up everytime.  ^_^  Yeah, Ceilen is a little skittish but it's not really the eye patch thing…  More will be revealed in FY-7, no da!  Thank you for reviewing!  Tasuki-chan loves it when people complain when I won't let him have any… ^_^

**_Sirrah:_** *ROFL*  Gomen, gomen!  No lemon until the next chapter, no da!  Sorry….  But I'm glad you like the story.  Thank you for reviewing!

**_Akennea:_**  I'm writing, I'm writing!

**_Leila:_** Thank you for the review!  And the mail!  ^_^  And yes, that's Chiriko, no da!

Now on with the story!!!!  
  
  
  


**A Fine Line - FY:** Chapter 6 - Of Deceptions and Revelations

By Moonraven   
  
  
  


_(Day four -VERY early morning…) _  
  


"God damn stupid piece of junk!" Tryffin yelled at the cell phone in his hand and threw it hard, smashing it against the closed door of his cabin. "Shit!" He wasn't able to tell Kouji much; just that he was about six hours from Tokyo. He couldn't be sure how long he was out before Ceilen put him on the boat or how long he was out AFTER the damn tea but he hoped it wasn't too long. He knew that Kouji had these computers that can trace phone calls and had hoped that he could stay on the line long enough for Kouji to find him. He glared at the offending pieces of what used to be Ceilen phone as if he intended to ignite them into flames with just his looks alone.   
  


With a frustrated huff of air, Tryffin sat back on his bed and drew his knees up against his chest, hugging them close. He leaned his chin on one of his knees and thought about what had just happened. Ceilen wanted him. Oh, yeah… he certainly did. So what was up with the eye patch thing? Was the thing behind the patch so gruesome that he would freak if someone were to see it?   
  


Or had the thread snapping reminded Ceilen of what they were doing? That Ceilen had lost control and he had to regain it? So why the disgust? Was it directed at Tryffin? Tryffin didn't think so. Man, Ceilen was REALLY into him earlier, and there was NOTHING disgusting about HIM, thank you very much!   
  


So the one-eyed wonder was disgusted with himself for… what? For wanting a man? For wanting Tryffin? What? What? Tryffin growled in frustration and jumped off the bed. He couldn't stay here by himself; he would go crazy from all the unanswered questions alone, nevermind the ocean. He needed Ceilen close by, to hell with pride.   
  


Tryffin took a deep breath and did his best not to think about where he was. Even with his best effort - thinking about a very naked Ceilen moaning with every thrust - he was still sweating and panting heavily when he finally reached Ceilen's door. Or he hoped it was Ceilen's door. It was the only one with lights shining beneath it.   
  


Tryffin banged on the door loudly and without waiting for reply, turned the knob and pushed the door open. He couldn't wait. The fear was crowding in on him and the darkened corridor only made it worse.   
  


Nothing. There was no one in the room and Tryffin cried out in anguish. He slammed the door closed and looked around frantically. A large bed was against one wall, a large desk with, of course, the man's computer and… Tryffin blinked as he realized there were quite a few more computers than he'd thought any one man would need. It reminded him of Kouji's headquarters where he monitored all kinds of stuff.   
  


But no Ceilen. Tryffin didn't want to go back to his room; he would be all alone again. At least here, he was near Ceilen's stuff. He walked to Ceilen's neatly made bed and crawled into it. He buried his face in Ceilen's pillow and took a deep breath. Everything smelled like Ceilen. He smiled to himself and snuggled comfortably between the sheets and felt his fears slowly but surely ebbing away.   
  


"What are you doing here?"   
  
  


Ceilen's harsh voice shook Tryffin out of his near-happy place and he peeked over the sheets to see a very wet and very bare-chested Ceilen standing in the doorway. He wore loose, gray sweatpants that hung very low on his hips, and had a towel draped around his shoulders as he used one end to dry his hair. Tryffin swallowed at the gorgeous sight in front of him but couldn't find the voice to reply.   
  


"Get out." Ceilen's voice was chilled to near arctic temperature and that only made Tryffin burrow deeper under the covers.   
  


"What are you doing? I said get out!" Ceilen said again from the doorway; the man seemed afraid to step into his own room.   
  


"Why can't I stay here?" Tryffin asked from under the covers.   
  


"Because…!" Ceilen's voice was still by the door. Tryffin peeked over the sheets again and sure enough, Ceilen did not budge an inch. Gods, he looked good without his clothes on! His chest was well defined, toned and so fucking sexy with all those little water droplets Tryffin was dying to lick off.   
  


AGH! Bad, Tryffin! Down, boy! You're gonna scare him away again!   
  


_But it wasn't my fault!!!!_   
  


"Because… what?" _You fucking wanted me!_ He wanted to yell at the man. _So come and get me!   
  
_

Ceilen blinked at him but didn't reply. He looked like he was debating with himself and after a short time, he advanced cautiously into the room... and went straight to his computers. Freaking idiot! Tryffin really wanted to throw something at him, maybe he should have kept the damned phone to chuck it at its owner instead. But thoughts of violence soon gave way to something else as Tryffin continued to watch the drool worthy torso. Some men, he thought with a sigh, should not be allowed to wear a shirt.   
  


After Ceilen checked the various screens and found everything to be satisfactory, he threw his towel in the wicker hamper in one corner and pulled out a cotton, button-down shirt from a drawer. He casually threw that on but left it unbuttoned as he sat behind one of the computers and started typing.   
  


Tryffin was getting a very distinct feeling that he was being ignored. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the man while he began debating with himself.   
  


Should he just stay put and go to sleep? It would be like the previous night in the cave; him sleeping on Ceilen's bed and the man working all night by his computer. If he did, would that mean Ceilen would go without sleep two nights in a row? Surely he couldn't do that to the man? But he didn't want to go back to his room, damn it!   
  


Or he could just bug the hell out of the guy! He was going to beat the crap out of Ceilen and the man did say he could try… but somehow he knew it wouldn't be as easy as all that, black belt or no black belt. But what he wouldn't give to wipe that self-satisfied smirk from that all too arrogant face! Yet with Ceilen, Tryffin knew that beating him to a pulp wouldn't do it.   
  


An evil little smile appeared on Tryffin's face as he thought about what would. Surely he couldn't just jump the man…? Now that he knew Ceilen was interested, he didn't feel so timid and insecure. He felt pretty damn good.   
  


"Hey." He called softly to Ceilen.   
  


Click. Click. Click. Went the keyboard. Tryffin narrowed his eyes but decided to keep going.   
  


"If I promise not to do anything, will you come to bed?" He asked softly, his eyes watching Ceilen carefully.   
  


Ceilen paused briefly in his typing and his jaw muscle actually twitched. "No."   
  


"Why not?"   
  


"I can't leave the helm unmanned. It's not safe." Ceilen said without looking up.   
  


"How are you manning the helm here?" Tryffin lifted himself up on one elbow and continued watching his strange bodyguard.   
  


Ceilen frowned and looked at his many computer screens then he looked over the top of a monitor at Tryffin as if the redhead was daft. Then he shook his head and went back to whatever it was he was doing.   
  


Tryffin glared at the bowed head. Okay… so how the hell was he supposed to know what the fuck 'helm manning' was? It just sounded like there would be a whole lot of physical activities involved. Ceilen didn't have to be such a snotty brat about it!   
  


"You can't go two nights in a row without sleep. What the hell is the time anyway?" Tryffin tried again. Oh the things he was willing to do to get that body into bed next to him.   
  


"One in the morning and I'm fine." Ceilen said without bothering to look at him. "If you insist on staying here, go to sleep."   
  


One in the morning! Damn, was he out for that long? What the hell kind of tea was that anyway? Tryffin chewed on his lips thoughtfully for a few seconds then plunged on. He figured he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore anyway, might as well find out what Ceilen really thought about their little romp.   
  


"Ceilen?"   
  


"Hm."   
  


"What happened earlier?" Tryffin held his breath as he watched the other man. The muscles in Ceilen jaw moved again but the man didn't stop what he was doing nor did he look up.   
  


"Nothing happened." The room's temperature dropped about ten degrees.   
  


"Nothing." Tryffin repeated softly then sat up angrily and swung his feet off the bed. "NOTHING? Do you go around fucking all your charges, is that why what we did was 'NOTHING'?"   
  


"NO!" Ceilen cried in shock and looked up at Tryffin. "Neve---no, of course not." He looked back down again hastily. "It should be nothing to YOU, though; don't you do that kind of stuff all the time? It means nothing… so why don't you just forget about it?"   
  


What the hell? Tryffin blinked confusedly at the bowed head. He didn't know why but Ceilen's comment made his heart drop to somewhere around his ankles and he didn't like the aching hollowness in his chest at all. Means nothing…   
  


"Means nothing to you… so you do that kind of stuff a lot too?"   
  


Ceilen frowned and shook his head. Ceilen looked… almost guilty and there was an undeniable sadness in the depth of his eye. "That's not what I meant."   
  


"So it DID mean something to you?" Tryffin asked as he pushed himself off the bed and came to stand in the back of the monitor Ceilen was working on. He folded his arms across the top of it and rested his chin on his arm as he blinked innocently at Ceilen. Was it his imagination or was his bodyguard hiding something?   
  


"No!" Ceilen looked really perturbed now. "I… it was a mistake. Forget it happened."   
  


"Mistake or not… you were pretty amazin---"   
  


"Stop!" Ceilen stood up abruptly and took several steps back. His face was bright red.   
  


Tryffin straightened up from the top of the monitor and frowned at Ceilen. "Okay. Chill, man. What the hell is the matter with you?"   
  


Ceilen didn't answer right away but stood there, staring hard at Tryffin. When he spoke. His voice was sad and tired. "Nothing. Just go to bed and let me work." Tryffin didn't want to leave him but he didn't know what else to do, either; the man was such an enigma.   
  


"Too much tea." Tryffin mumbled.   
  


Ceilen tilted his head to one side and gave him a puzzled look.   
  


"Don't wanna go to bed. I've BEEN sleeping."   
  


Ceilen blinked at him then asked, "Aren't you supposed to be cowering under the covers or something?"   
  


AGH! Tryffin's grip on the monitor tightened and he glared back at his bodyguard. "You are SUCH an asshole!" But instead of going back to bed, Tryffin moved around the long table and came to sit on a file cabinet next to Ceilen… much to the other man's horror.   
  


"Hah!" Tryffin crowed triumphantly. "It's your own damn fault for drugging the goddamn tea! I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a long time and bugging you is almost as good as cowering under the sheets." He smiled humorlessly at Ceilen and shifted to be just a little closer to the man.   
  


Ceilen, on the other hand, moved a little further away. "I can always make more tea." Ceilen suggested seriously.   
  


"Only if you take it with me."   
  


Ceilen started at him intently, as if by doing so, he could understand the unpredictable redhead. After a short while, Ceilen shook his head as he decided to ignore Tryffin again and went back to his screens. Sitting where he was, Tryffin finally saw what Ceilen had been so engrossed in all this time… One monitor had an aerial map of what looked to be an island. Another was more of the radar screen that was similar to the one in Ceilen's car. Another monitor had pictures of some very sour looking people and some writings were next to each picture, as if describing each person. Tryffin was too far away from that screen to see what it said and curiosity almost made him leave the comfort of Ceilen's side. The last monitor had the diagram of a boat.   
  


"Hey, is that… this boat?" He asked, pointing to the screen.   
  


"Yes." Ceilen said without looking up from the charts that were laid out on the table. "Still not afraid?"   
  


"Fuck you." Tryffin muttered darkly but moved a little closer to the man nonetheless.   
  


"I don't think so."   
  


"Oh, you are so full of it! If that damn string didn't break, you'd be screaming my name right about now!"   
  


Ceilen gasped and turned to Tryffin incredulously. "YOU are full of it! You think too highly of yourself." The look of utter surprise turned malicious as he continued. "What you offer is a dime a dozen. You don't think I would realize sooner or later that I was bedding a common whore? Believe me, I'm NOT that hard up." With a cruel sneer, Ceilen turned his attention back to the charts and the computer screens.   
  


Tryffin couldn't understand the paralysis that came over him. He couldn't understand why his heart was pounding agonizingly in his chest. His mouth was dry and his throat was tight, making breathing almost impossible. But the thing that he didn't understand the most was why Ceilen's opinion of him should matter so much. Ceilen was right. He WAS a whore. That had never bothered him before… Why was it killing him now?   
  


Numbly he stood and without a second glance left the room. The once comforting presence had turned suddenly unbearable and he couldn't stand to be in the same room as the man who had such a poor opinion of him. Tryffin didn't even know how he'd gotten to his cabin and under his covers. His mind kept playing back the contemptuous look on Ceilen's face and the cold tone that chilled his heart.   
  


************   
  


"You don't want to do that." Shinji said quietly as Kouji started to make calls to get a boat ready.   
  


Kouji turned around and gaped at the youngster standing in his bedroom. "What…?" He looked around the room in confusion. "How did you get in here?" Hadn't he dropped Shinji off a few hours ago?   
  


Shinji shrugged evasively and smiled. "Nevermind that. You shouldn't be following him." He settled down casually at the foot of Kouji's bed and continued to smile up at the older man.   
  


"Why? What the hell do you know? Who the hell ARE you?" Kouji asked as he reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out his gun.   
  


Shinji raised his brows and his smile turned less amiable. "I'm a friend. I'm not here to hurt you."   
  


Kouji laughed harshly then pointed the gun at Shinji. "You're so sure you can?"   
  


Shinji looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded. "Yes. But like I said, I'm a friend."   
  


Kouji glared at the smiling face and lowered his gun. "What the hell do you want?" Kouji watched the pouting lips tightened and wondered why he hadn't noticed the hardness around those brown eyes before. Shinji seemed to be a totally different person from the shy youngster he had picked up earlier. He actually looked… dangerous.   
  


"I'm here to… help you."   
  


"Help me with what? Why? And what do you know about what's going on?"   
  


Shinji sighed and fell back on the bed. Kouji swallowed as he watched the soft pink hair spread out on the black silk of his sheets. Shinji looked really delectable at the moment and quite harmless. Kouji put his gun on the nightstand and involuntarily tightened the folds of his robe, his eyes never leaving the attractive young man on the bed.   
  


"Help you in your investigation, of course. As to why and what's going on… that's a little complicated. Let's just say we don't want you to get hurt, okay?"   
  


"We? Who's 'we'?" Kouji narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you with the tall redhead, what's his name… Aya?"   
  


Shinji rolled over and propped himself on his elbows, chin resting on his entwined fingers. He gave Kouji a bright smile and nodded.   
  


Kouji's eyes narrowed further as he peered at the younger man. "Did you guys kill Shitahara?" He asked softly as he flexed his fingers, ready to go for his gun if he didn't like the answer.   
  


Shinji frowned and then pursed his lips in thought. "My friends and I did not." He said slowly, carefully weighing each word.   
  


"But you know who did." It wasn't a question; Kouji could sense that the young man knew something.   
  


Shinji sighed again and studied the older man in front of him carefully. Kouji could see that he was trying to decide what to tell him. Finally Shinji said softly, "Maybe."   
  


Kouji growled in frustration and closed the distance between them. Who the hell did Shinji think he was, playing games with him like this? He wasn't some dolt to be trifled with!   
  


He grabbed the slender wrist, intending on yanking the young man off his bed but before he knew what happened, Kouji found himself lying prone on his bed with Shinji straddling his hips.  Something very sharp pressed up against his neck and he looked up to see Shinji frowning down at him disapprovingly.   
  


"THAT wasn't nice."   
  


Kouji struggled but the sharp point on his neck dug deeper and Kouji was sure it drew blood. "Nice? You called playing me for a fool NICE? You pretended to be interested in me to do what? To spy on me? Don't fucking lecture me about nice!"   
  


Shinji bit his lips guiltily and pulled the weapon away from Kouji's neck. He pocketed it but did not make a move to get off the older man. Kouji looked up at the reddened lower lip and unconsciously licked his own lips. He remembered from earlier how sweet they were and his body immediately responded to the stimulating images in his mind.   
  


Shinji gave a startled cry and looked down at where he was sitting… right on top of Kouji's rising erection. His face turned bright red and he hastily moved off the prone man. Kouji snorted at the display of innocence; although they had not gone further than some very heated kissing and petting, Kouji wasn't so sure about the boy's innocence anymore. He had actually liked Shinji. To know that all of the young man's attention and care had all been a deception was really… strangely painful.   
  


"Gomen… Kouji-san." Shinji mumbled and moved a little ways away from the Kouji. "It was the only way to find out what you know and hopefully prevent you from getting yourself killed. We meant no harm."   
  


"Che!" Kouji sat up and rubbed at his neck. "I can keep myself from getting killed. So you can keep your fucking helping hands to yourselves and stay the hell away from me."   
  


Shinji stood a few feet away watching him unhappily. "You're trying to find out who killed Yuichi Shitahara."   
  


"Damn right!  He was my friend."   
  


"He was killing innocent people."   
  


"That was a lie!" Kouji rushed Shinji and grabbed him by the collar, pushing the younger man against the wall. Shinji frowned at Kouji but allowed the older man to manhandle him. "There was never any proof! You LIE!" Shitahara was his friend. Sure he had his strange quirks but he was not a murderer, damn it!   
  


"I'm sorry but we do have proof." Shinji said softly, then gasped as Kouji pressed his arm hard against the boy's throat.   
  


"I checked. The police had nothing!"   
  


"I'm not talking about the police." Shinji's bright brown eyes stared up at him and Kouji had to harden himself against the fluttering he felt in his chest. What the hell was wrong with him? The kid was bad news and he was being used, damn it!   
  


"Then who? Who has the proof?" Kouji pressed harder and Shinji coughed as his face started to turn red. Kouji released the younger man's throat but kept a firm grip on Shinji's upper arm and shirt.   
  


Shinji took some deep breath and rubbed at his throat then gave Kouji a wane smile. "I guess we're even, ne?" He asked softly.   
  


"Not by a long shot, kid." Kouji growled. His pride was injured and there was no quick fix for it.   
  


Shinji seemed to understand; the boy looked guilty again and avoided Kouji's eyes.   
  


"I can't tell you exactly who we are, just that we fight criminals that are above the law - criminals who are powerful enough to bribe their way out of prison. We stand for their victims and we are their justice."   
  


"So you DID kill Shitahara!" Kouji's gripped both of Shinji's arms and shook him against the wall.   
  


Shinji seemed to have had enough of the rough treatment and his arms snapped up between Kouji's and he broke free of the older man's grip. He pushed his palm hard against Kouji's chest and Kouji found himself stumbling back and fell on his butt.   
  


Shinji straightened his clothes and frowned down at Kouji. "No, I told you we didn't do it but there are traitors in our group and we feared that it was they who killed Shitahara. We are trailing them now, you need not bother."   
  


"The hell, I 'need not bother'!" Kouji got up on his feet and tugged irritably on his robe. "You tell me where to find them and I'll give them justice myself!"   
  


Shinji sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple. These people are trained killers, ruthless and conniving. You didn't even know they'd planted a bug on Tryffin… didn't know they had a bomb in one of your cars." Shinji shook his head. "I don't mean to insult you but I'm afraid they are of a different league than the criminals you're used to dealing with."   
  


"I can take care of myself, thanks for the concern." Kouji's tone was filled with sarcasm and Shinji colored slightly.   
  


"I can't allow you to go after them… not alone…" Shinji said slowly and looked up at Kouji through tousled pink bangs. Kouji's heart skipped a beat and his groin stirred to life once again.   
  


Kouji ignored the throbbing between his legs and concentrated on what Shinji said instead. "What do you mean?"   
  


Shinji closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. "If you promised to do as I say, I may be able to help you."   
  


Kouji narrowed his eyes at the gorgeous young man in front of him. "What's this, another ploy so you can keep a watch on me? Like I'm going to trust you."   
  


"You have no choice." Shinji's eyes snapped opened and Kouji got another glimpse of the danger he'd seen earlier.   
  


Even though he didn't like it, he knew Shinji was right; he didn't have a choice. The boy knew where to find the killers. Maybe.   
  


"Fine. What do we do now?"   
  


"We sleep." Shinji shrugged and smiled cheerfully at him. "You're going to need your strength tomorrow."   
  


"What about Tryffin?"   
  


"What ABOUT Tryffin?" Shinji frowned irritably at Kouji. "He's in good hands."   
  


Kouji was still unhappy. Tryffin had sounded terrified and as far as he knew, Ceilen wasn't there to comfort him. He turned to Shinji abruptly and peered at the younger man. "Wait… wait a minute… Ceilen… he's not… NO! Don't tell me he's with you guys."   
  


Shinji blinked at him for several seconds then shook his head. "No… no. He's not… WITH us but we've heard of him. He's… um… very famous." Shinji smiled innocently at him.   
  


Kouji was still unsure and he frowned uncertainly at Shinji; that smile was just a tad bit TOO innocent as far as Kouji was concerned. The younger man laughed then walked over to Kouji and tugged playfully on the lapel of his robe. "Don't worry! Now go to sleep, I'll meet you in Ueno Park at ten sharp, okay?"   
  


Kouji wrapped his arms around Shinji's waist and pulled the younger man flushed against him. Shinji looked up, startled, his cheeks colored brightly.   
  


"Why don't you stay here and make sure I behave?" Kouji suggested huskily. Having the young body pressed up against him like this was making him hard again.   
  


Shinji shook his head and pushed gently against Kouji's chest. "I… can't. Besides, if I stay, you probably won't behave."   
  


Kouji tilted the younger man's head back so he could see into those expressive brown eyes. Surprisingly, they held a hint of nervousness that made Kouji loosen his hold on Shinji's waist. Surely the boy can't be all that innocent? His kisses earlier nearly drove Kouji insane with want but now Shinji acted like he's a scared virgin. Was it all an act? Could he have misread the younger man so completely?   
  


"Am I just a job then?" Kouji asked as he gazed intently into Shinji's eyes.   
  


"Am I just a diversion while Tryffin is away?" Shinji countered.   
  


Kouji studied the suddenly serious face before him and reluctantly let the younger man go. They were both guilty of something yet Kouji wasn't sure if he thought of Shinji that way. Strangely enough, when he was with Shinji, he hadn't thought of Tryffin at all. All day his mind had been focused solely on Shinji. That had never happened before. No matter whom he was with, he had always thought about going home to Tryffin…   
  


Why was being with Shinji different?   
  


"I guess I'll meet you in Ueno Park at ten, then." Kouji muttered.   
  


Shinji looked strangely disappointed as he nodded and walked towards the balcony. Just as he was about to step through the opened doorway, he turned and looked directly at Kouji.   
  


"Just for the record, you're not… just a job." Before Kouji could make a reply, Shinji slipped onto the balcony and disappeared into the night.   
  


Kouji glared darkly out his window. Tryffin was right, that damn tree had to go.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Tryffin jerked upright on the bed and stared around the dimly lit cabin nervously. What was that crashing sound he'd heard? Was the boat sinking? Terror filled mind conjured up images of his watery grave, making the tightly strung redhead grip the blanket tighter around him.   
  


He had been lying on his bed for hours, trying to forget the scorn in Ceilen's tone. Needless to say, it didn't work. Why was it hurting so badly? So what if the only thing he had to offer - the only thing that was worth anything - was cruelly rejected? Why should HE care? Wasn't he with Kouji? So why can't he get that arrogant asshole out of his mind? What the hell was wrong with him? There were too many questions rampaging through his mind and he had answers for none of them.   
  


Then he heard it again; the sound of something breaking. It was faint but unmistakable. Tryffin frowned and stared at his closed door. Did something happen to Ceilen? The man hadn't slept in two days - that he knew of - but who knew how many more nights Ceilen had gone without sleep?   
  


Without further thoughts, Tryffin pulled back the sheets and headed for Ceilen's room. The door was closed but he could see lights shining beneath the door. It must be close to morning and the man was still awake. Tryffin knocked softly and pressed his ear to the door as he waited for reply.   
  


Nothing. He frowned and tried the door. It wasn't locked so he turned the knob and cautiously pushed it opened. What he saw made him cry out and he ran into the room.   
  


One of the computer monitors was lying on the floor, glass from the screen shattered all around it. The pitcher of water and the small table it was sitting on were knocked over, spilling water around the fallen monitor. But worst of all, Ceilen's still form slumped over the desk in a pool of blood. 

Tryffin ran over to Ceilen and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the man was breathing and even panting slightly. Ceilen whimpered softly, a sound that sent chills down Tryffin's spine. Never in a million years did he expect to see Ceilen like this.   
  


He tentatively placed a hand on Ceilen's shoulder and called softly, "Ceilen." When there was no response, he pulled Ceilen back gently and called again. "Ceilen. Are you alright? What happened?"   
  


Ceilen moaned and pushed him away. The man staggered unsteadily to his feet and stared blankly at Tryffin. Then Ceilen swayed and Tryffin put his arms around him and pulled the resisting man into his arms. "Hey, here… let me help you." He led Ceilen to his bed and gently lay him down. His bodyguard's injuries had Tryffin gasp out in shock. Ceilen had deep gashes on his forearms and chest. Blood flowed steadily from several wounds and Tryffin wondered how the hell he had managed to hurt himself so badly. Tryffin looked around the room for something to staunch the blood. There had got to be something he could use.   
  


"Go away." Ceilen said tiredly from the bed and Tryffin's concern turned to anger.   
  


"Yeah, don't worry, I will. As soon as I make sure you don't bleed to death."   
  


"I won't. Just go." Ceilen closed his eye and turned his head away.   
  


Tryffin nearly growled out in frustration. The man was going to be the death of him and it had nothing to do with his fear of water.   
  


"Look, I don't know shit about where we are, where we're going or anything about his goddamn boat! So believe me when I say that helping you is all about helping ME. And don't worry; I'm not going jump you or anything! **_I'M_ not that hard up!" He said between gritted teeth.   
  
**

There was no response from Ceilen though Tryffin thought he heard the man catch his breath.   
  


Seeing that the man's shirt was trash anyway, Tryffin gently divested Ceilen of it and tore off pieces to wrap around the cut. Ceilen turned an unimpressed eye toward him and watched his effort impassively.   
  


"You've got blood all over you." Ceilen suddenly noted. "You shouldn't get other people's blood on you."   
  


Tryffin blinked at Ceilen then looked down at his blood soaked chest and arms. He had gotten Ceilen's blood on himself when he helped the man to his bed and when we removed Ceilen's shirt. He shrugged carelessly. "Too late now," was all he said as went back to work.   
  


He could feel Ceilen's puzzled gaze on him as he wiped away the blood to see the wounds. Then he wrapped the strip of Ceilen's shirt around each one tightly to stop the bleeding. He'd clean them properly later when the bleeding was controlled. The cut on the chest was harder; he didn't have long enough a strip so he sat there pressing the remaining cloth firmly over the gash.   
  


"Where is your first-aid kit?" He asked as he looked around the room again. When there was no reply, he turned anxiously back to the prone figure on the bed, fearing the worst.   
  


But Ceilen wasn't unconscious; he was staring fixedly at Tryffin. The man's piercing gaze made Tryffin take a sharp breath and he involuntarily pulled back from Ceilen.   
  


"In the cabinet above the bed." Ceilen said softly, his eye still on Tryffin.   
  


Tryffin swallowed and nodded. "Okay." He got up and fetched the metallic box, all the while very aware of Ceilen's gaze on him.   
  


Tryffin looked moodily at the spilled water then rummaged through the first-aid kit. "I am NOT going anywhere to get water so we're going to have to make due with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, okay?" He took said bottles out of the box and set them down of the bed next to him. He picked up syringes and several glass bottles with clear liquid then stared at them in surprise.  "Damn!  This is SOME first aid kit."  He put them back, shaking his head at the amount of supplies and surgical equipment he'd seen.  "You are SO freaking weird.  I hope you're not into pain or anything 'cause you don't need stitches and I DON'T do stitches."  Tryffin shuddered as he looked at a pack of suture needles.  
  


Ceilen watched him silently for a few seconds then asked quietly, "Where did you learn how to dress wounds?"   
  


Tryffin shrugged and he poured alcohol on some cotton and wipe the smeared blood off Ceilen's torso. "Kouji and the guys do get into some pretty bad scuffles sometimes. I guess there is something else I can do besides getting laid, huh?" He hadn't meant to say that last part. Honest he hadn't, he just couldn't keep the horrible thought that had occupied his mind since he'd left Ceilen from surfacing. Tryffin groaned inwardly at how pathetic he must have sounded and kept his eyes focused on his task. What the hell was wrong with him?   
  


An uncomfortable silence followed his unfortunate comment and Tryffin tried hard not to think too much about what was done. Ceilen lay still and allowed him to clean and properly dress each wound without protest. Then the man suddenly said, "I'm sorry."   
  


That was the last thing he'd expect from Ceilen and Tryffin looked into the cautious brown eye in surprise.   
  


"It was an awful thing to say." Ceilen continued softly as if to clarify why he was apologizing.   
  


Ceilen had said a great many things but they both knew which he was referring to.  Tryffin nodded mutely. He didn't know what to say. He was glad that Ceilen had apologized but a part of him was still hurt. Ceilen hadn't said that he didn't mean it… he just realized he shouldn't have SAID it…   
  


"And your kung fu." Ceilen said almost shyly.   
  


Tryffin raised his eyebrows questioningly but Ceilen's eye was closed. "My… kung fu?"   
  


The corner of Ceilen's lips quirked slightly but he didn't open his eye. "Another thing that you can do… well - your kung fu."   
  


Tryffin blinked and wondered if this was Ceilen's way of telling him that he was REALLY sorry. A warm flush of pure joy filled his being and Tryffin had to work hard to suppress the idiotic grin that threatened to break across his face. "Oh… yeah, thanks. It's Shorinji Kempo but you didn't really see it, did you? And why do you call it 'kung fu'? Sounded like a Jet Li movie or something." Shut the fuck up! Geez! Tryffin ignored the urge to clamp his hand over his mouth and finished the dressing then closed the first-aid kit with a snap.   
  


"Hmmm… Shorinji Kempo." Ceilen murmured softly. "Shaolin Ji Chuan-fa."   
  


"Eh?" Tryffin stared at the beautiful face blankly. He was totally lost.   
  


Ceilen smiled at the baffled tone in Tryffin's voice and opened his eye to look with some amusement at the redhead. Tryffin found himself practically melting right off the bed. Ceilen was so fucking gorgeous. "It means Fist Method of the Shaolin Temple. It's part of the Chinese martial art form known as Shaolin Kung Fu." Ceilen continued. "I use that form sometimes."   
  


Wow. Tryffin stared owlishly at Ceilen. THAT was all volunteered information! Holy shit, he must have lost a lot more blood than Tryffin had thought or the guy must REALLY be sorry. Ceilen's smile got bigger at Tryffin's expression but then as if realizing that he was being uncharacteristically friendly, Ceilen cleared his throat then looked away.   
  


"Wow." Tryffin repeated his thought lamely. "I never really paid attention when they talk about the history or nothin'. I just went in so I can kick some ass." He told Ceilen as he stood up and put the first-aid kit away.   
  


"I'm surprised they let you in; that's not a reason for learning martial arts."   
  


"I had… other reasons." Tryffin sat back down next to Ceilen on the bed. "Why did YOU learn… martial arts? And the Chinese version at that."   
  


Ceilen didn't say anything for a long time and Tryffin was sure the man was going back into the silent mode. He just hoped that Ceilen would leave the asshole portion out of it.   
  


"Revenge." Ceilen whispered, his eye focusing on the blood on Tryffin's t-shirt.   
  


"For your parents."   
  


Ceilen looked into Tryffin's eyes and nodded slowly. "Not much better reason than yours, I know, but the people that taught me didn't really care for my reasons… just theirs."   
  


Tryffin blinked at Ceilen's openness. The man was really trying; Tryffin couldn't do any less.   
  


"I… learned Kempo because my foster father was a real jerk and he tried to…" Tryffin broke off not wanting to mention anything about sex. He swallowed and went on, "Well… anyway, he liked to beat up on his wife too so I got myself an instructor and after a few lessons, beat the crap out of him. " He gave Ceilen a crooked smile. "He left us pretty much alone after that."   
  


Ceilen stared up at him in silence, his eye searching Tryffin's face intently. Tryffin wasn't sure if Ceilen was trying to see if he was lying. He frowned and asked Ceilen, "What?"   
  


Ceilen shook his head and tried to sit up. "What happened to them?"   
  


Tryffin helped Ceilen and soon they were sitting side by side on the bed. "Rina left him so the government threw me into another foster home."   
  


Ceilen stared unseeingly at the mess on the floor, lost in thought. Tryffin wondered if the man had even heard what he'd said.   
  


"You must have been very young." Ceilen finally said. His voice was soft and distant, as if he was somewhere else.   
  


"My parents died when I was thirteen." Tryffin shrugged and tried to pretend that it didn't affect him anymore. "You do what you can."   
  


Ceilen was silent again then he nodded. "Yes, we do."   
  


Tryffin turned and looked sideways at the pensive man besides him. Millions of thoughts and questions about Ceilen's past flashed across his mind yet he couldn't find the ability to put many of them into words.   
  


"How old were you when… your parents died." Tryffin asked softly, not wanting to break this bond he felt they were forming. If it took this kind of incident to get Ceilen to open up, he'd wish for it everyday, even if it meant that he'd have to constantly endure Ceilen's venomous tongue.   
  


"They were murdered." Ceilen's voice was hard yet he didn't raise his voice. "I was fifteen." He continued in a softer tone as he stared down into his hands. Tryffin wanted to ask about Ceilen's parents but he knew that it was probably too soon. Ceilen wasn't ready for much more.   
  


Tryffin nodded his understanding. "You went through some of them foster homes too, huh? Aren't they shit?"   
  


Ceilen turned sharply to look at Tryffin, his expression almost amused. Then he gave Tryffin a small smile. "Yeah, something like that."   
  


Tryffin was sure from the man's expression that it was probably NOTHING like that. Ceilen's life was definitely nothing like his.   
  


Ceilen turned back to the mess in his cabin and stood up slowly with a sigh. "I guess I'd better clean up."   
  


Tryffin looked at the heavily bandaged man and frowned. "I can do that. Why don't you rest? I know I can't sleep any more but I don't think you've slept a wink."   
  


Ceilen's back was toward Tryffin and the redhead could see Ceilen stiffened slightly. "I'm fine."   
  


Tryffin snorted as he looked around the room. "Yep, sure looks like it to me, too." He got up and came to stand next to Ceilen and they both surveyed the room together. "So what happened? Got pissed off at the monitor or something?"   
  


Ceilen didn't answer but Tryffin could feel guilt and shame flow off the man in waves. It was freaking scary.   
  


A strange beeping came from one of the computers and Ceilen went to the source of the sound immediately. Tryffin gingerly went around the broken monitor and met Ceilen coming from the other side of the table. The monitor in question was black with green circular lines, a lot like the radar screen from Ceilen's car.   
  


"What is it?" Tryffin asked, completely mystified by the blips and dots and lines on the screen.   
  


Ceilen studied the screen for a while then shook his head. "Nothing. We're on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The alarm is programmed to go off if one of the vessels gets within a certain range of us. That was just an oil tanker. Pretty normal stuff." He studied the dots and lines again then turned and looked at Tryffin coolly. "I thought you were going to clean up the mess."   
  


Tryffin sighed in resignation and shook his head. Their moment of truce was over; the asshole was back. Tryffin went over to the fallen monitor and carefully picked it up. Well, at least he knew the man was back to normal even if normal was going to be hell for Tryffin.   
  


Then Ceilen surprised him again for the umpteenth time when he spoke softly without looking up. "Thank you."   
  


Tryffin wasn't sure what he was being thanked for; cleaning Ceilen's wounds or for cleaning up his room but he wasn't about to ask. "My pleasure." He said simply and noted with delight when color rose in Ceilen's cheeks.   
  


Tryffin was never one to give up and he wasn't about to start now, not when he knew that Ceilen wasn't impervious to him. Tryffin wanted Ceilen but what he wanted FROM Ceilen was still a mystery to him. Sex was a given but that wasn't enough. It suddenly scared Tryffin that he might be having feelings other than lust for someone.   
  


Scary but was it worth it? This went against all of his beliefs; no feeling, no attachment, no pain… He looked up at Ceilen again and noted the clean lines of the man's body, the deep concentration on his face but most of all, Tryffin noted the suppressed vulnerability of the man.   
  


Ceilen was one troubled soul and if Tryffin could change all that, it would be worth all the pains in the world.   
  
  


TBC…   
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Thank you, thank you! I hope you weren't TOO mad at Ceilen earlier? He's really, really sorry. Next chapter of FY will be a flash back chapter for Ceilen. It'll take place about five years before he met Tryffin, which is about 3 years after he left Kritiker. It will introduce Kouran and Hikou… It will also explain some of his more… er… mean tendencies… ^__^   
  


See ya then!!!! 


	7. Of Breakfast Congees and Killer Tomatoes

**_Author's notes and warnings:_**  I hope this chapter finds you all well? *peaks from behind Ceilen*  Sorry it took so long, but if you've received my mail, you know why…  Oh, why must life interfere with fanfic writing, ne? *sigh*

I had originally wanted to do a flashback chapter but wasn't comfortable with it exactly.  Up until now we've been seeing the story through Tryffin's POV and I'm not planning to change that.  I love how no one really knows what Ceilen is thinking.  *evil laugh*  But I do want all of you to see his past so I hope you like how I did it.  Special thanks to Xellas for the wonderful idea…I was struggling for a while.

No Kouji and Chiriko in this chapter…I couldn't fit them in but they will definitely be in the WK version.  Youji and Omi will end up working with them.

Thank you all my wonderful reviewers and those that wrote to me.  I couldn't and probably wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for all of you.  

**_Space Cat_**:  Ah…it's been three months so I'm guessing you're better?  Heh heh heh…  Thank you so much for your really, really nice review.  So glad that I can make your day…  ^_^

**_Xellas_**:  Thank you!  You know the journal was all your idea!  This chapter is for you…er…well, this whole fic is for you, ne?  Love you!

**_Bakachan_**:  LOL.  I ALWAYS enjoy your reviews and your mails.  You are just too sweet.  *hugs bakachan and Wubear*  Thank you for being so supportive and I'm happy you like the chapter.  

**_Eeyaatoe_**:  LOL.  Yeah, WK sections seem to be a little ahead, ne?  That's why you guys here are so special!  Thank you so much for keeping up with the chapters.  I know I take much longer than some authors to write but I hope everyone enjoy the story just the same. 

**_Ambika_**-**_san_**:  How is school, sweetie?  Have time to write anything lately?  Thank you for your comments.  I know my Chiri is a bit…er…odd but that's how I like him. So glad you do too! ^_^  And say something in Japanese, no da!!!  You're still taking that, right?

**_Firekat_**:  Thank you!  Quite a bit of his past will be revealed in this chapter through various means…  I hope you like the Ceilen that Tryffin stumbled across…  ^_^

**_Akennea_**:  Writing, no da!  Thank you for reviewing!  Tryffin's gonna break SOMEthing, that's for sure but I don't know if it's gonna be Ceilen's wall…  ^^;;

**_Hcbenitez_**:  Thank you!  Not all of his past will be revealed just yet but you'll see a more playful and happy Ceilen… The monitor is complicated and that will also come out later.  He has a lot of frustration in him…^^;; And Tryffin sure isn't helping, ne?

**_Sakata_**:  Which fics?  The YGO one, the FY one and you know you have lots of those, right?  As a fan, I demand several updates, no da!!  ^_^    Er…okay, I'll beg…how's that?  With big puppy dog eyes?

**_Midori_**:  I can totally see a chibi Chichiri when you're petting him.  So cute, de gozaru!  ^_^  How are you?  Thanks for keeping up with my little ficcie…I truly appreciate it.  And as soon as I can 'see' Aoshi with Soujirou, I'll write that fic, okay?  ^_^

**_Ashen_** **_Skies_**:  *big starry eyes*  Nani…you have a Moonraven flag?  *giggles*  Thank you!  I hope you like what I did to reveal Ceilen in this chapter…

**_Kitsuna_**-**_Ri_**:  ^_^.  Yeah, I love flashbacks too…  But I opted for a different approach… I hope you'll enjoy it just as much.  Thank you for your thoughts.

**_Hana_** **_no_** **_Ceres_**:  Yeah, Ceilen's got issues… *shakes head*  I seem to love doing that to my poor Chiri, ne?  Sorry you didn't like Shinji-kun… He is a Kritiker agent…a killer, ne?  They can get…odd, I suppose.  ^_^  

**_Fallen_** **_Wind_**: Yeah…Ceilen was a bad boy.  I do dump on him a lot…his pot is quite full in this story, I'm afraid.  Hopefully you'll like him better later on?  --__--;;  Thank you for your review!

**_JC_**:  *Blushes*  Thank you!  I'm so glad you like it.  I'm sorry it took so long but I really hope the next update won't be.  I do get bogged down during the holidays.  ^_^

**_Zeto_**:  There, there…*pets Zeto*  I'm sorry I Ceilen was so mean. *glares at Ceilen*  He'll be nicer, I promise.  *hugs*

**_Krysana_**:  LOL.  Okay, moto-chan.  Now that I've posted, I can go write another Ran/Ken chapter, ne?  Now at least you know what happen when Ken heard that loud boom, huh?  *giggles*  That boy is worst than a level five hurricane, I tell you.  *hugs*  Thanks for everything, baby!  

**_Cindy_** **_Poo_**:  Thanks for the Pocky! *munches happily*  Glad you like the chapter.  I love Waffy things too!!! *glomps*  So expect more in the future, okay?  *huggles*

**_Whisper_** **_Reilman_**:  ROFL.  Literally!  OMG, I absolutely love reading your reviews, all…er…three of them!  LOL.  Thank you SO much. And I really enjoyed your mails too.  How are things going for you?  I hope you're all settled? And I did promise you the shirtless edition, right?  I haven't forgotten…but now it looks like we're up to four bishounens san shirts, no da…  I hope that's alright with you?

**_Celeste1_**:  LOL.  Anou…are you still jumping?  O_o;;  And why did your friend not want you to watch FY?  Nani?  Chichiri-sama is reason enough to watch it, na no daaaa….  And Tas-chan's little fangs…very irresistible…  ^_~  Let me know if yougave in and DO watch it, okay?  Thank you!!!

**_Sirrah_**:  *hugs*  Thank you!  I remember how wonderfully supportive you've been since my very first story… In fact, a lot of my current reviewers have been with me all this time. *warm fuzzy feelings*  You guys make me feel very special.  Thank you, Sirrah…  Um…do you know that your email address listed on FF.net is invalid?  I tried to mail you to let you know when I update but it always come back…  Anyway, I'm happy you still like my writing.  Thanks again!

**_SLL_**:  Silly Ceilen…  Hurting oneself is never good, ne? *shakes head*  Hopefully he'll get over it… Thank you for your review!  Glad you like it!

**_Kouryou_** **_Sanomi_**:  Glad you're not to upset with him. ^_^   Hm…unfortunately Ceilen did mean to hurt, but that's because he doesn't know how else to push people away…you're right, it is necessary for him.  ^_^  He's really sorry, though.

**_Atki_**:  --__--;;  Updated, no da…  Arigatou!

The usual disclaimer where I don't own them goes here…

An exceptionally special thanks to Hitari-chan for betaing goes here…

And Xellas wanted me to write a warning to all fangirls for the seriously sexy tension between these guys. It is very hard on a poor fangirl's heart and someone may get hurt.  There!  Did I quote that right, Xellas?  ^_^

Enjoy, everybody!!!!

  
  
  
  
  


**A Fine Line – FY:** Chapter 7 – Of Breakfast Congees and Killer Tomatoes

By Moonraven   
  


_(Day four mid-morning)_   
  


"You want me to eat THAT?" Tryffin eyed the bowl of something Ceilen placed in front of him uncertainly. "It looks like baby food."   
  


Ceilen glared at Tryffin then thrust a spoon across the small table at him. "You must have heard of congee, it's Chinese porridge. You do have Chinese food in Japan, don't you?"   
  


Tryffin didn't look up from his bowl but poked at the creamy content gingerly with the spoon. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I know every Chinese dish, you know. And you talk like you don't live in Japan." Then realizing that maybe Ceilen didn't, Tryffin looked up suddenly. "You DO live in Japan, don't you?"   
  


Ceilen sat down in the chair across the table from Tryffin, his eyes carefully maintained on his own bowl. "I live in many places." He said quietly before picking up his spoon and dug into his congee.   
  


Tryffin watched as Ceilen carefully blew on the hot content before putting the spoon in his mouth. The redhead made a face; congee looked like runny oatmeal and he'd never liked oatmeal.   
  


"What?" Ceilen sighed and looked up from his meal expectantly. When he saw Tryffin's face, he frowned. "Just try it."   
  


"What did you put in it?" Tryffin swirled the spoon around in his bowl and bits of meat, vegetables and some dark unidentifiable things moved about. Tryffin peered closer at his bowl and scooped up the dark 'something'.   
  


"Why? Do you want the recipe?" Ceilen went back to eating his congee and Tryffin had to admit that the man made it looked pretty tasty.   
  


"I just wanna know what I'm eating." Tryffin grumbled.   
  


"Chicken, scallions, ginger and preserved eggs." Ceilen said between spoonfuls. "Now eat. The ginger will help to settle your stomach. You don't seem to be doing well on boats."   
  


"No shit!" Tryffin muttered. "Took you long enough to figure it out." Although he was no longer a mess, he still wasn't comfortable when left alone. That damn Ceilen made it sound like he was queasy or something.   
  


With a final scowl at his bodyguard, Tryffin dug into the congee… and found that it was quite delicious. "Hey, I didn't know you could cook." He took another spoonful and made appreciative noises. "Not bad."   
  


"Thank you." Ceilen muttered and continued to eat his breakfast.   
  


"So, what's the agenda for today?" Tryffin asked as he munched on the black 'something' that he figured was the preserved egg. It tasted like nothing really. He wondered absently why it was there in the first place.   
  


"I have work to do. You can do whatever you like." Ceilen didn't bother to look at him and was rapidly finishing his congee. The man sure was in a hurry to leave him.   
  


"I'd like to go home." Tryffin pointed out. "Can I do that?"   
  


Ceilen paused and took a deep breath. "No."   
  


"Okay. I'd like to help you. How 'bout that?"   
  


Ceilen frowned into his bowl but didn't answer right away. He paused for a brief moment then shook his head. "It's pretty boring and there are some things I'm working on that are probably better for you if you don't know about them."   
  


"Ah… dangerous secret agent stuff." Tryffin nodded knowingly, his eyes narrowed as he studied Ceilen. "Like I'm not in danger now, right?"   
  


Ceilen sighed. "It's not just you. Other people may be in danger as well if YOU can't keep the information to yourself."   
  


"Oh." Tryffin felt bad about that. He didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him. "I just…" He trailed off, not sure of what to say. He wanted to do something to keep his mind busy, and he wanted to be useful to Ceilen as well as be near the man. None of which was appealing to his bodyguard. Tryffin sighed and pushed the bowl away. Life sucked.   
  


Sensing his discontent, Ceilen looked up at him. "There're some books and music CDs in my room. You may look through those, if you like. I believe there may be some movies laying around as well." Ceilen paused and frowned thoughtfully. "If there are, those may be a bit old and I'm not really sure which language they'll be in but at least they'll keep your mind off things."   
  


Tryffin chewed on his lips and wondered how he was supposed to ask what he wanted to ask without sounding needy. He studied the pattern on the ceramic bowl in front of him intently as he mumbled, "Where will you be?"   
  


A pause then Ceilen said quietly, "First I have to go through some files in the storage room, then I'll be in my room."   
  


Tryffin nodded without looking up. "Okay… I'll wait for you there then."   
  


Ceilen looked like he wanted to protest but changed his mind. He nodded and picked up his empty bowl without comments. Tryffin watched him get up and turned to the sink behind him. Ceilen was all in black this morning. His loose long sleeve t-shirt did nothing to hide the man's broad back though it effectively hid all traces of Ceilen's injuries. Tryffin still wondered what had happened last night to give Ceilen such wounds. The man refused to talk about it and Tryffin was getting tired of the cold shoulders every time he brought it up. He rather preferred this unspoken truce they were having right now.   
  


"Why don't I do the dishes since you cooked." Tryffin said as he got up and walked around the small table to where Ceilen stood by the sink. The galley ,as Ceilen had called it, was no bigger than his closet at home but it packed a small refrigerator, a sink, a round table with two folding chairs and various cupboards around the room. These boats were pretty impressive, he thought grudgingly.   
  


Ceilen turned to say something to him and Tryffin saw the surprise flickered in his brown eye at seeing Tryffin standing right behind him. Tryffin would have smirked but that would only bring back the defensive Ceilen. Didn't he say he liked this truce they had?   
  


Oh, but it was so tempting, teasing this man who had turned his whole existence upside down.   
  


"I want to show you that there is something else I can do." He told Ceilen softly as he leaned forward and took the bowl from Ceilen's frozen hands. His chest pressed against Ceilen shoulder and he could feel the tension in the wiry frame.   
  


Ceilen was silent as he looked away quickly but not before Tryffin caught a tinge of pink on his bodyguard's face. The first thing that flashed across his mind was to drag the man back to bed and screw him silly. The second thought was of course, drag the man back to bed and have Ceilen screw him silly. The third thought was… er… well ALL of his thoughts involved one of them screwing the other silly and some of the thoughts involved no bed at all.   
  


Damn, he was horny!   
  


"What are you doing?"   
  


Ceilen's sharp voice shattered the images of the happily romping pair in his head and he blinked repeatedly to clear the hentai thoughts.   
  


"Huh?"   
  


Ceilen was frowning at him. THAT can't be good.   
  


Then he realized he was holding on to Ceilen's wrist and his thumb was caressing the man's palm suggestively.   
  


Eeek! When the hell did THAT happen? He let go of the man's hand and gave Ceilen a small smile. "Er… sorry, I was thinking of something…"   
  


Ceilen didn't say anything but the frown never left his face. He left his bowl in the sink and rinsed his hands then dried them quickly with the towel hanging nearby.   
  


"Fine, you can do the dishes, I'll see you later." Ceilen didn't wait for a reply but turned around and headed for the door.   
  


"Wait, I can just hang out in your room? Look for something to do and stuff?"   
  


Ceilen paused by the door but didn't turn around. "Like I can keep you out." He muttered then shook his head. "DO NOT touch the computers or the files I have on the tables. The rest is no secret." Then he was gone.   
  


Tryffin shrugged then went to work on the dishes. There wasn't much really, just their bowls. Apparently Ceilen had washed the pots and utensils he had used to cook the meal. The man really was pretty amazing. Tryffin found himself sighing dreamily as he thought about his bodyguard. Man, he was turning into a real sap and that just won't do! When this whole thing was over, they would go their separate ways… he really couldn't afford to feel any more for the man. It would be a big mess later when they'd have to part. Wasn't that what he had hardened himself up all these years for? So that nothing could hurt him? Why was Ceilen the exception to every rule?   
  


Gah! The sooner he found something to do, the faster he could take his mind off Ceilen. He nodded with conviction as he headed back to Ceilen's room.   
  


Once there, Tryffin stood in the middle of the room and scratched his head. Where the fuck did he keep his stuff? There were no bookshelves, only locked cabinets. No wonder the man said there were no secrets… there was NOTHING!   
  


He sighed and went over the cabinets again. Locked. Locked. Locked. Okay… locked. Unlocked. Loc--- Nani? He went back to the unlocked cabinet and found cardboard boxes inside. Finally! He pulled out all of them and found that Ceilen had stored 4 boxes away. The first two boxes were filled with books of various sizes, some were hard cover and some were paperback and the titles were quite diverse. He'd found authors ranging from Tolkien to Sun Tsu to Bakin Takizawa. The man, it seemed, read everything.   
  


Tryffin shook his head then moved on to the third box. Music CDs and movies. His bodyguard's taste in music was just as varied as his taste in books. Tryffin didn't think Ceilen was the 'Metallica' kind a guy but here they were 3 CDs form the group, and he would NEVER have guessed that Ceilen would listen to 'Chicago'. Man, they were ancient! There were also several CDs in Japanese and Chinese, not to mention something that looked like Russian. Finally Tryffin pulled out 'Reload' by Metallica, 'Gravitation' by Bad Luck (^_~) and 'Ameno' by Era.   
  


Then he started on the movies. He blinked several times when confronted by VHS tapes of Godzilla fighting various creatures. O~kay… He put THOSE away very carefully. The rest of Ceilen's collection concentrated on Martial Arts films and very strange science fictions from various countries. One in particular was most questionable. Who in their right mind would make a movie about giant killer tomatoes? Better question was, who in their mind would spend money buying it?   
  


Tryffin was beginning to question the sanity of his bodyguard.   
  


He shoved all three boxes back into the cupboard then turn to look at the last box. He had saved this one for last because it was different from the others. It was much lighter for one thing and it was also taped shut where the others were not. Tryffin tucked on the tape and soon had the lid opened. He wondered distractedly if this was where Ceilen kept his porno tapes and nearly laughed out loud at the look that would be on Ceilen's face when he returned to see Tryffin watching them.   
  


Laughter died on his lips as lifted the lid and found not porno tapes but a few odd stuff; a scarf, a book, an envelope stuffed with pictures, a handgun and a short sword. He frowned and lifted out the scarf first. It was a woman's scarf judging by the color and design. It had pink orchids scattered on pale lavender silk with the monogram 'K' at the very edge. On one end of the scarf, there were large dark brown stains like someone had spilled some sauce on it. Or dried blood. At the last thought, Tryffin dropped the scarf and pulled his hand away quickly.   
  


Chocolate sauce, he told himself. It had to be chocolate… it BETTER be chocolate. He turned away from the scarf and picked up the gun. Tryffin had seen this kind of guns before, it was a Glock and not very popular in Japan because of the large size. Well, owning firearms was generally against the law so if you're gonna pack a weapon, it better be small enough to conceal. A Glock was a bit… bulky. Hm… no ammo…   
  


Putting the gun away, Tryffin picked up the wakizashi, a samurai's short sword and companion to the longer katana. See? Owning a sword was ALSO against the law but Ceilen sure as hell didn't pay any attention to that. This wakizashi was something else, though. He could certainly understand why Ceilen wanted it. The golden pommel was designed as a very fierce looking dragonhead. The scabbard was black and made from a very tough leather coated with clear lacquer. It was an impressive sword and Tryffin put it away without unsheathing it. There was something very sacred about a samurai's sword, it was his soul and Tryffin wasn't about to mess with another man's soul. He had enough problems with his own, thank you very much.   
  


Next item that came under his scrutiny was the envelope. He picked it up and pulled the photos out eagerly. He felt giddy and couldn't help stealing a glance at the cabin door. He knew that Ceilen had said nothing was a secret but he couldn't help feeling that maybe the man may not want him to see these. What if there were naked baby pictures or something? He settled down more comfortably and looked at the first picture.   
  


It was a woman. Involuntarily his eyes drifted to the scarf with the stains and an uneasy feeling came over him. No, he was just being ridiculous. It was chocolate sauce, he told himself again as he turned his attention back to the woman in the picture. She was wearing a yellow summer dress and was holding a wide brim hat in one hand while trying to keep her long brown hair from blowing in her face with the other. Her face was filled with laughter and he could almost feel the playful tug of the wind as he stared at her. He turned the picture over and read the writing on the back.   
  
  


_My dearest Ceilen,_   
  


_Here is something to keep your spirit up while you're away. It's not much but at least I can be with you always. Hurry back, Ceilen. I'll be waiting for you._   
  


_Stay safe._   
  


_I love you._   
  


_Kouran._   
  
  


Tryffin reread the message and found that his eyes kept returning to the second to the last line. 'I love you.' Did Ceilen feel the same way? Who was she to him? Where was she?   
  


Eager to find out more, Tryffin moved on to the second picture. It was an older picture that looked like it had been viewed too many times. The edges were flayed and there were creases on the picture itself. Two young men in swimming trunks stood on the beach laughing at the camera. One was slightly taller than the other and both had their arms clasped companionably around each other's shoulders. Their other arm stretched towards the camera as they waved a cheery 'V' at whoever took the picture. The taller one had jet-black hair and was very good looking. The other one had blond hair with blue streaks in several places. His laughing face was slightly upturned and… Tryffin took a sharp breath and brought the picture closer to his face.   
  


The shorter man was Ceilen!   
  


Tryffin blinked several times as he stared hard at the young man. Ceilen must have been in his late teens at the most. He had no eye patch on and both his eyes seemed to be fine. He looked so happy; Tryffin felt a gut-wrenching pain at the difference in the man who was now his bodyguard. What happened to Ceilen?   
  


He turned the picture around but there was nothing written on the back.   
  


Tryffin frowned then pulled out the next picture. It looked like it was taken about the same time as the last picture. This time the young Ceilen was standing with a small girl with red hair. She looked like she was about thirteen or fourteen years old and not too happy being in the picture. She wore a blue one-piece swimming suit and stood in front of Ceilen with her arms crossed, her tongue sticking out at the person taking the picture. Ceilen arms came around her shoulders and he smiled easily into the camera. How Tryffin wished he could see that smile again. The man was gorgeous.   
  


Again, the back of the picture revealed nothing.   
  


Tryffin impatiently shuffled the picture to the back. The next photo was even older, the color was faded and it looked almost like it was crumpled up at one point or another. A handsome couple smiled happily into camera and Tryffin knew without a doubt that these were Ceilen's parents; the resemblance was uncanny. The man was perhaps in his late thirties, the woman slightly younger. Ceilen's father looked European while his mother was Oriental, most likely Japanese. They stood in front of a house on the beach, looking like they had no cares in the world.   
  


Tryffin swallowed the lump in his throat at the sudden nostalgia that shook his senses. His parents were happy and carefree too. They loved their research job and even though that had taken much of their time, they had never forgotten to be a family. They took him everywhere with them and he'd shared in their enthusiasm. It was only trips where they had to go into the oceans that kept Tryffin away. But those were rare and Tryffin didn't grudge them the time away. Until the last trip when their boat sank…   
  


His misty eyes trailed back to the pair in the picture and he wiped his eyes roughly. He really WAS becoming a pathetic sap. He shook his head and put the picture in the back. The next picture was of a stern looking man practically glaring out at him from the picture. The man was older, maybe in his late forties and had thick black hair. He wore a pair of glasses, slightly shaded and his mustache and beard were neatly trimmed. Tryffin blinked at the severity of the gaze and wonder just who the hell he was. The picture again was old so Tryffin didn't think he was a lover. But who was he?   
  


Shuffling the picture back, Tryffin realized that it was the last one. He stared at the picture of the woman again and couldn't help the tightening in his chest. He was jealous and he had no idea who she was. Was Ceilen in love with her? Was he still in love with her?   
  


Who was she?   
  


Then his gaze fell back into the box and locked onto the only item he hadn't looked at. The book. He put the pictures back in the envelope then placed that back in the box and picked up the book. It was a woman's too by the look of it. Why do they have to put dainty flowers on everything? The cover was made from rough paper the color of sand. The book was simple with only one lavender pansy sat right in the middle of the front cover. Tryffin shrugged and open the book. First page said simply, Kouran.   
  


It was her book! His eyes shifted to the scarf then to the envelope then back to the name on the page again.   
  


Tryffin hurriedly turned the page, eager to find out more about the woman in Ceilen's past. The book was a journal of some kind with sporadic entries but no dates. He frowned as he sifted through pages then settled back and started at the beginning. As he read, more of Ceilen's past was revealed to him and Tryffin wasn't sure if it was a good thing.   
  
  


(Journal entries by Kouran)   
  


_Entry one._   
  


_I shouldn't be doing this; he would be upset. But I feel deep in my heart that I will not be with him long. I need to keep something solid with me when he's no longer here... when he's gone back to his world and I am left with nothing but memories. _  
  


_I met Ceilen about a week ago at my father's factory, which he came to destroy. Funny how destiny works, he was out to ruin my family, yet ended up saving my life and now he's protecting me from the very person who should be cherishing me. I'm yet to understand fully the things that my father did and perhaps I never will. Ceilen is taking it upon himself to protect me from my father's doings as well. What he failed to understand is that no matter how secretive he is, he could never take away the fact that my own father would rather see me dead than have his secrets revealed. _  
  


_My own father…_   
  


_Ceilen is all I have now. He is the only one I can trust. _  
  
  
  


_Entry two._   
  


_My father sent more people after us. Ceilen is moving me from place to place and we could never stay in one place long enough for me to know where we are. I know now that I am no longer in Kyushu but which island we're on, I'm at a lost. Father had never allowed me to leave our home island so I do know every inch of Kyushu. We are definitely not on Kyushu._   
  


  
  


_Entry three._   
  


_I find that I'm enjoying this global hopping perhaps more than I should. Or is it the company? He's so very sweet. Well, not 'sweet' exactly but so shy that I find him exceedingly endearing. His obsession with his looks is becoming annoying, however. No, it's not narcissism. Not at all. You see, Ceilen had lost an eye sometime ago and he wears an eye patch. I think he looks scandalously sexy but he seems to think that it's an atrocity. He actually thinks I find it repulsive. Imagine that. _  
  
  
  


_Entry four._   
  


_Oh but the man can cook! I have never had to being that we have our own staff so imagine my surprise to fine that he can cook dishes from all over the world. My particular favorite is the Tom Yum Kung from Thailand. Very spicy but oh, so delicious. He mentioned that he traveled a lot and had lived in many countries. I must get him to describe all the places he had seen! For tomorrow, I have convinced him to cook an Indian curry dish for me. Is he not the sweetest?_   
  
  
  


_**** ****_   
  


"Yeah, my teeth are hurting here." Tryffin grumbled moodily as he read.   
  


_**** ****_   
  
  
  


_Entry five._   
  


_Water. Everywhere I look there is water. I have been living on this yacht of his for more than three weeks now. As much as I love sailing, I don't think I'd want to see another boat for a while. _  
  


_Ceilen knows the oddest places. We never stop at large ports. Everytime we stopped for fuel and supplies, we'd end up in another obscure fishing village. _  
  


_Yesterday we rested in a little bay by his supply depot and he fished. As if realizing that I must be tired of the routine, he took us on the beach and… roasted the fish by the fire. He dove for oysters and clams and we had an honest to goodness clambake! _  
  


_Ceilen never ceases to surprise me. _  
  
  
  


_**** ****_   
  


Tryffin read several more entries and Kouran mainly talked about the places they'd been to. His chest hurt. Her description of Ceilen was NOTHING like how he would have described the man. He was far from shy or sweet, damn it! What Tryffin wouldn't give to see Ceilen as Kouran had. Or the Ceilen that was on the beach smiling openly at the world.   
  


Why did he have to get the screwed up Ceilen?   
  


Tryffin went over a few more entries before one in particular caught his eyes. Or should he say his heart?   
  


_**** ****_   
  
  
  


_Entry ten._   
  


_I think I love him. No, I know I do. I love him with all my heart. There are times when I see that he feels something for me as well but… why does he feel the need to keep the distance? Doesn't he know that I wanted him? That his advances would be most welcome? We've been traveling and hiding together for over a month now… what must I do? _  
  
  
  


_Entry eleven._   
  


_He caught me swimming nude today and gods the desire I saw in his eye left me with no doubt that he wants me as well but the man's control is giving me migraines! _  
  
  
  


_Entry twelve._   
  


_I ate dinner alone again. He's hiding from me. Damn him! Would you believe that before I met Ceilen, I have never used a bad word? The man is truly maddening. _  
  
  
  


_**** ****_   
  


Yep, that he was, alright. Tryffin had to giggle despite the ache in the pit of his stomach. So she didn't appreciate being ignored, huh? Tryffin totally understood where she was coming from. At least Ceilen wasn't an asshole with her. Tryffin frowned as he reread the previous entry. Ceilen desired him as well; the memory of the hard flesh pressing into him was evident enough… so Ceilen was bisexual… He could work with that.   
  


_**** ****_   
  
  
  


_Entry thirteen._   
  


_My poor, poor Ceilen._   
  


_I found him crying out in his sleep last night. His cabin is next to mine and since I couldn't sleep for pining over a certain someone, I heard him. In his hand he clutched a picture that I found out later was of his parents. He won't tell me anymore than that they're dead. I held him to me tightly and rocked him back to sleep. I had never seen him this vulnerable, this young. I realized he couldn't be much older than I am and I'm only twenty. This was the first time he'd allowed me to touch him in this way. I am both elated and saddened at the same time. _  
  


_Even then… With Ceilen, you're only allowed to go so far… there is a place deep inside of him that I know I will never touch… I don't think anyone will ever be allowed to go there. _  
  


_For his sake, I hope I'm wrong._   
  
  
  


_Entry fourteen._   
  


_I'm blushing as I'm writing; I hope you know that! I've never in my entire life thought that I would put to paper my sexual experiences but I still feel this need to record my thoughts and feeling about Ceilen. This feeling of dread is much stronger now. Our time together is coming to a close. I cannot explain how I know. He's going away in a few days and my fear for his safety grew more each day. I'm to stay with his good friend, Hikou.  I'm sure he's more than capable of protecting me; Ceilen trusts him completely.  It is Ceilen that I worry about.  He is the one going up against my father and his crew._  
  


_That was why I approached him last night. Why I'd offer myself to him with all of my heart as well. He was hesitant but after weeks of fighting his desires for me, he finally gave in. He so tenderly took what I'd offered that I found myself crying as we made love. I have never known such gentleness… such care. He filled me with so much emotions, I could not properly describe them. I think I will surely burst if I don't tell someone and since I can tell no one of Ceilen, this journal is my only mean of venting._   
  


_How could arms so strong be so tender at the same time? How could hands that plant bombs and shoot bullets be so warm and loving in their caresses? I don't want him to go, I want to stay wrapped up in his arms forever. I want to feel his body move against mine again and again, never to stop. His lips… his tongue… oh, gods I cannot stop this burning deep inside of me at the though of his touches. How can I go on without him now that I have tasted him?_   
  


_How can I live without Ceilen?_   
  
  
  


**** ****

Tryffin slammed the book shut with a loud thud. His heart was hammering violently in his chest and to top it all off, he was as hard as hell. That last bit in the entry was hardly erotica but his oh, so helpful mind supplied him with a very naked Ceilen moving his hard length in and out of HIS body, not Kouran's. His fucked up mind was not going to leave him alone, damn it!   
  


Shit! He rubbed his eyes in frustration. It took Kouran more than a month to get Ceilen to screw her and it's only been two days since he'd been with Ceilen. At this rate, he was going to die of blue balls if Ceilen didn't kill him first.   
  


Before Tryffin could go back to the journal, the door opened and Ceilen stepped in. His arms were loaded with files and he suddenly dropped them when he saw what Tryffin was holding.   
  


Tryffin looked guiltily from the journal to Ceilen then he quickly put the book back in the box.   
  


"Er…" Tryffin stopped, not knowing what to say. The shock and alarm on Ceilen's face was enough to let Tryffin know that nothing he said could make the situation better.   
  


"Leave."   
  


The word was softly spoken but the edge in the voice was unmistakable. It said clearly that Ceilen would not repeat it and he'd better be out of there NOW.   
  


Tryffin got up and left without another word.   
  


He felt bad. No, bad was probably the understatement of the year but his numb mind couldn't really identify the pain that was in his chest. It wasn't entirely his fault. He knew that. He'd asked and Ceilen had said pretty much that the only thing in the room that was off limits were his computers and his files. He had even encouraged Tryffin to look around.   
  


Okay, so he didn't say THAT exactly but it amounted to the same thing.   
  


But even though it wasn't his fault, Tryffin still felt bad for having caused the pain to appear on Ceilen's face. He hadn't wanted that. He had wanted to make the man smile, to be able to see Ceilen like the others in his past had seen him. He wanted to wipe away the memories of whatever horror was inflicted on Ceilen to make him this cold… this closed.   
  


Well, THAT wasn't going to happen anytime soon.   
  


Tryffin found himself huddling on his bed, in his cabin, all alone for the rest of the day. For lunch, there was brisk knocking at the door but when he went to answer it, he found no one. On the floor in front of his door, Tryffin found a tray with sandwiches, a salad, a bottle of juice and the three CDs he had picked out earlier. Next to the tray, he found a Walkman. Tryffin looked up and down the empty hall of the boat but Ceilen was nowhere to be found.   
  


After lunch, he took his tray and went to the kitchen. It was empty… and spotless. He cleaned his dishes and put away the tray then went to stand in front of Ceilen's door. He hated to be far from Ceilen, his fears were not as immobilizing as before but he was still terrified. He knocked on the door but only silence greeted him. When he tried the knob, he found it was locked. With a disheartening sigh, Tryffin went back to his room and listened to the CDs that Ceilen sent with his lunch. He wondered why Ceilen had bothered at all. Maybe he wasn't as mad as Tryffin had thought. Maybe it was just that he needed some time alone.   
  


Tryffin hoped with all his heart that he was right.   
  


Dinner was pretty much the same thing. Knocks on door and tray on floor. He wondered miserably as he munched on his fish how long Ceilen was planning to avoid him. He looked down at his grilled fish, steamed vegetables and bottled water and thanked the gods that at least he was being fed.   
  


And Kouran was more than right. Ceilen was an excellent cook. And there was something oddly familiar about the fish… Tryffin couldn't quite put his fingers on it but he could have sworn he'd eaten it prepared this way before yet he couldn't recall…   
  
  


****   
  


Tryffin couldn't sleep that night. He looked at the little clock on his nightstand and grimaced when he saw that it was already past midnight. He had been trying to sleep for the past two hours but his mind just wouldn't let go of the look on Ceilen's face. Besides, he really was too wired up and nervous to sleep. Ever since he'd met Ceilen, he had fallen asleep with the man close by… he couldn't relax now, not when he was alone.   
  


Another thought had him sitting up straight in his bed. What if whatever fit Ceilen had last night came back and Ceilen ended up hurt again? Shouldn't he at least check and make sure the man was alright?   
  


Even as he threw back the covers and marched to the door Tryffin knew that it was only an excuse to search out the other man. He didn't care. He wanted to be with Ceilen.   
  


The light was still on, Tryffin could see under the door so he knew that Ceilen was still up. Come to think of it, he had never seen the man sleep. Slumping over the table in a puddle of blood did not count!   
  


This time Tryffin did not knock. He banged. Very loudly. Repeatedly.   
  


And was completely unprepared when the door jerked open amidst his pounding, nearly causing him to lose his balance. He swallowed nervously when he realized that his fist was caught in mid air in Ceilen's iron grip.   
  


Ceilen was not wearing a shirt. The bandages on his arms and chest stood out starkly against Ceilen's smooth tan skin. Tryffin mentally drooled but outwardly kept his composure. No need putting his unstable bodyguard on edge and have the door slammed in his face.   
  


Ceilen looked alert and frowned expectantly at him. "What is it?" He wasn't angry and Tryffin noted with relief that Ceilen's tone was more worried.   
  


Tryffin blinked and blurted, "I'm sorry."   
  


Ceilen stared at him silently across the threshold. His bodyguard looked stunned at Tryffin's apology but that was all too soon replaced with indifference.   
  


After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, Tryffin fidgeted and cleared his throat. Ceilen blinked then gave Tryffin a curt nod. When he noticed that Tryffin wasn't going away anytime soon, Ceilen frowned again and asked coolly, "Is there anything else?"   
  


Tryffin chewed on his lower lip agitatedly. Yeah, well he wanted to go inside but he couldn't find the courage to say so especially when Ceilen was being so goddamn cold. It was like the first night they had spent together and Tryffin groaned inwardly at the thought that he would have to work twice as hard to get Ceilen to be civil to him again.   
  


With hands clenching stiffly to his sides and fists in tight balls, Tryffin lowered his gaze to Ceilen's bare feet then shook his head dejectedly.   
  


When Tryffin was about to turn back to his room, Ceilen suddenly sighed and stepped to the side, allowing him to enter. Tryffin looked up at his bodyguard in surprise but found that Ceilen wasn't looking at him.   
  


Grinning gratefully, he slipped past Ceilen and stood just inside the door uncertainly. Had Ceilen forgiven him?   
  


"Do you need some tea?" Ceilen asked quietly from behind him and Tryffin wondered if the man was trying to be funny.   
  


"No, thank you." Damn, but he was behaving, wasn't he?   
  


Ceilen walked back to his work and motioned to the bed. "Go to sleep, then."   
  


Tryffin slipped into Ceilen's neatly made bed without protest. Ceilen seemed to know that being near him gave Tryffin comfort and it warmed Tryffin's heart to know that Ceilen was a nice enough guy to indulge him this little quirk.   
  


He watched Ceilen work from the bed and wondered for the hundredth time when the man last slept. He seemed alert enough… maybe he slept earlier today when Tryffin was sulking in his room.   
  


Tryffin wasn't sure when he fell asleep… he wasn't even sure he WAS asleep until the man with blue hair told him once again that he loved him.   
  


This time Tryffin didn't pull away. He didn't recoil in shock but pulled the man towards him and kissed him instead. And then he was kissing Ceilen and his bodyguard was doing delicious things to his body… And then it was the man with blue hair again… At this point, Tryffin really couldn't care less as long as ONE of them -- or both of them if he could only keep them in one scene -- did something to him!   
  


A splash of something cold hit his face and Tryffin jerked up sputtering in terror. The first thought that came across his dazed mind was drowning. Then after shaking water from his face, he turned to see Ceilen glaring at him from the side of the bed. An empty glass was in his hand.   
  


"What the fuck?" He growled at the man.   
  


"If you want to stay here, you can't…" Ceilen clamped his mouth shut and his lips were pressed into a thin line and he struggled with whatever it was he was trying to say. "You can't…" He waved the hand holding the empty glass towards Tryffin's groin. "Can't DO that here!" He blurted out indignantly.   
  


Tryffin blinked and looked down his body to see what the man was sputtering about.   
  


Oh, THAT.   
  


Tryffin let go of his now limp organ with an apologetic smile. Was he doing that? Heh heh heh… oops.   
  


"Sorry." He mumbled, blushing furiously. Man, this was SO not happening. How fucking embarrassing.   
  


Ceilen stood panting angrily by the bed then turned on his heels and left the room. Tryffin blinked stupidly after him. Was there more than anger in Ceilen's tone? Did he see what he thought he saw in Ceilen's bright eye? Was it desire? Or was his needy mind tricking him into seeing and hearing things he craved?   
  


He looked at his watch and found that it was already morning. He raised his eyebrows in surprised at having slept so long. It was close to nine in the morning! It felt like it had only been minutes since he'd fallen sleep. He got up and stretched leisurely. He felt relaxed despite of having woken before he had his release… but then again, THAT would have been a disaster. Ceilen might have just thrown him into the water instead of throwing water at him. Tryffin shuddered at the possibilities and decided to go get cleaned up before Ceilen came back.   
  


As he walked towards the door, a strange beeping sound came from one of Ceilen's computers and being a curious creature that he was, Tryffin slinked over to have a look.   
  


The word "URGENT" flashed radically on the screen and the beeping sound got louder. What the…? He hit the 'ENTER' key on the keyboard and the 'URGENT' message was replaced by a woman's face. The pretty redhead in the computer stared at him in shock then frowned.   
  


"Where's Ceilen?" She demanded impatiently. Tryffin stared at her for a few seconds then realized that she must have been the little red-haired girl in the picture with Ceilen. The hair and that defiant look in her eyes were unmistakable.   
  


"I don't know." He shrugged. Gee, she was just about as rude as Ceilen.   
  


"I need to speak to him immediately." She continued to scowl at him but he could tell that she was studying him curiously.   
  


"Get in line." He muttered to himself.   
  


The woman narrowed her eyes at him, then her tone changed… slightly.   
  


"Tryffin, some people will die if I don't speak to Ceilen now. Please find him."   
  


Tryffin opened his mouth to ask how she knew his name but was interrupted when Ceilen suddenly appeared.   
  


"What is it?" He didn't look pleased to see the woman; the scowl on his face almost matched the one on hers earlier.   
  


"Ceilen…" She looked at his bodyguard in relief. "Thank god you left this channel open, I didn't know who else to call."   
  


Oh, NOW she was all 'save me, save me'. Tryffin glared at her.   
  


"Get to the point Kitada." Ceilen said blandly.   
  


Kitada bit her lips and looked like she was thinking hard. The look reminded Tryffin of someone who knew she was in deep shit but didn't want to admit it.   
  


"I know you said to keep them away but… I thought you might need help, so…" Tryffin sneaked a glance at his bodyguard and swallowed. Yep, she was in deep shit, alright. Ceilen had his eye narrowed to a cold slit as he glared at her.   
  


"So… I send Abyssinian and Siberian after you. Something happened to their vessel and they are sinking." Kitada looked imploringly at the silent man next to Tryffin. "Please, here are the coordinates. You have to go get them."   
  


Ceilen was angry, no, he was furious. Tryffin could practically FEEL it radiating from the man. He inched away from his bodyguard just a little in case Ceilen wanted to have a go at this monitor as well. The coordinates flashed at the bottom of the screen and Tryffin wrote them down automatically. Though he was confused as to why the woman was sending cats, it had never occurred to him that Ceilen wouldn't go…   
  


"Ceilen." She said his name softly, her tone and eyes begging him to help her. "The boys…"   
  


"How do you know I can get there in time?" Ceilen asked. "Are you tracking me?"   
  


Kitada shook her head. "No, we didn't know your exact whereabouts but when we intercepted Tryffin's call to Kouji, we made some educated guess as to where you might be. And with this communication, we've pinpointed your location and we think you might make it in time."   
  


Tryffin grimaced.  Oh boy…now HE was in deep shit.   
  


Ceilen turned slowly and gave him a look that promised a slow and painful death. Tryffin moved away quickly but stumbled and fell back into a chair.   
  


"What have you done?" Ceilen asked harshly, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Do you realize that your stupidity may have just cost them their lives?"   
  


Tryffin shook his head in horror. That wasn't what he'd wanted at all… he didn't want to hurt anyone… he just wanted to go home…   
  


He looked up into Ceilen's accusing eye helplessly. Surely it wasn't too late? Surely they could still be saved?   
  


But looking at Ceilen's expression told him that may not be the case. That despite what the woman had said, they may be too far to get there in time.   
  


If that were the case, Tryffin would be the one responsible for their deaths.   
  


And he didn't think he could live with that at all…  
  
  
  
  


TBC…

~*~*~*~*~*

Gah, I couldn't fit in more of Chichiri's past without it being too awkward.  Hope this works for now.  Bits and pieces will come out here and there.   The two boys will show up again in the WK version chapter 8.  They ARE going to fetch the kitties…

Thank you!!!


	8. Of Flotsam and Jetsam

**_Author's notes and Warnings:_**  *waves* Hello and welcome back!  I really have absolutely no excuses for the long delay…just that my muses were taking a break and nothing could lure them out…  Writers out there know what I'm talking about, ne?  We are at the mercy of our muses, no daaa…  So thank you very much for hanging around with me. ^_^

Ran and Ken are back in the FY version…as well as Youji and Omi.  I hope you enjoy.

I love all my reviewers to death!!!  Thank you all so so so so SO much!  *hugs and kisses*

**_Sakata_**: Hooray for the new YGO fic!  I like! LOL.  Sorry about the C/K squick.  Won't do it again, I promise!  As for Ceilen's name, good thing I didn't go for the original 'Ceilyn', ne?  THEN it would really be weird. ^_^  Thank you!

**_Keimei_**:  AGH!  Yeah, I didn't see the 'Tasuki' think until I read the review!  Thank you!  I think I reloaded the chapter again.  Silly me.  Sorry Ceilen's a meanie… ^_^;;  How are you doing?

**_Celeste_**: Thank you for your review!  Sorry I sank Ran and Ken. ^_^  Well, okay, so I'm not really sorry…heh heh heh, but now they are all together, no da.  Hmmm…Miaka gets annoying sometimes but since she's with Tamahome, I don't mind.  She's actually not that bad.  Now Sakura had her eyes on Ran, no da!  THAT, we can't have. ^_^

**_Ambika_**-**_san_**:  ^_^ Hi sweetie!  I heard that you're starting the next chapter of Insight?  When? Am really looking forward to that, no da!  Bummer about your Japanese class…I wish I could read Japanese…*sigh*  Then I can order the Honoo no Mirage (Mirage of Blaze), my latest obsession.  It is so great!  Thanks for keeping up with the story!

**_Hana_** **_no_** **_Ceres_**: ^__^  Yeah, I do strange things like that to poor horny Tryffin, ne?  Glad you like how Ceilen's past is revealed.  I did struggle with that for the longest time.  I'm really happy that you're still following this story.  Thank you!

**_Zeto_**:  Thank you!  I'm glad you like the chapter.  With the way Ceilen is behaving…the WK boys may wish they WERE in the water instead, ne?  ((HUGS))

**_Hcbenitez_**: ^__^  hehehehe…  When will the boys get together?  Have no idea. ^^;;  Soon, I hope.  Things just kept getting in the way, no da…  And now they'll hardly have any alone time!  *sigh*  But thank you for 'hanging' around with me.  I really, really appreciate this.  ^_^

**_Space_** **_Cat_**:  ^_^ Glad you are well.  I hope this chapter finds you even better!  Thank you for your kind comments; they made my day too. ^_^

**_Xellas_**:  Wai!  Thanks for the journal idea. I guess we can safely say that it worked, ne? ^_^  I managed to slip in a tiny reference to the killer tomatoes…did you see it?  LOL.  Anyway, thank you for all your comments before I finalize the chapter.  You're the best!  Hmmm…and no, it won't take Tryffin a month to get some…but who is he gonna get it from?  *evil laugh*  Should I have Ran do the honor? Eep! *hides for Ken*  Er…maybe not…

**_Krysana_**:  Thank you moto-chan!  I know you're busy with school and your Tennis boys…glad you found the time and even more ecstatic that you like the chapter.  *huggles*

**_Ashen_** **_Skies_**:  Thank you!  The plot will thicken as we get closer to their destination, ne?  As for Chichiri and Tasuki's past, I'm slipping in bits and pieces at a time.  I'm planning on them eventually remembering but not just yet. ^_^  Thanks again!

**_Akennea_**: I am, I am!  Thank you!

**_Midori_** **_Natari_** **_Himura_**: ^_^  heh heh heh, I've been checking out the pics of Aoshi and Soujirou…has potential, no da!  LOL.  And I read some of the stories as well.  I am planning an FY/RK crossover in the future…what possibilities, no da!  Thank you so much for keeping up with this little turtle!  Okay, not such a little turtle.  It means a lot to me that you like it! *hugs*

**_Fallen_** **_Winds_**:  *hugs*  Thank you! *blushes* So glad you like everything!  LOL.  Kouran and Hikou will be mentioned again later.  They are actually very crucial in explaining Ceilen's behavior. ^_^  Poor baby.  And whether or not Ceilen sleeps…we'll find out soon.  ^__^

**_Sirrah_**:  Thank you for the email and the review!  I'm really glad you like the story!  Gosh…between this version and WK version, I already have 16 chapters out.  That's the longest for me, no da!  Thank you for sticking around.

**_Rafusen_**:  LOL.  Yeah, Tas-chan is a bit naughty.  But that's how Chiri likes him, ne?  Thank you!

**_Babbling_** **_Brook_**: ^_^  This chapter will answer your rooming question.  You'll also see some changes in the…er…group dynamics.  I just hope it'll work out okay. ^_^  Thank you for your comments.  So glad you like the chapter.

**_Tearlesereph_**: ROFL.  So many people are cheering for Tas-chan to get laid, no da!  Looks like I'm going to have to do something for them soon…  Thank you very much for your review!

**_Bakachan_**:  *hugs Bakachan and Wuffie*  Thank you, sweetie!  You make me feel all warm and fuzzy, no da.  I hope you like this chapter as well…wouldn't want to disappoint you. 

**_Fire Pendant_**:  LOL. Thank you!  Lots of yays… ^_^  And I'm so glad you like the YGO fic as well!  I was so nervous I guess I didn't need to be.  Thanks again!

**_Whisper_** **_Reilman_**:  Thank you for your ever-enthusiastic and entertaining review!  I can always count on them to make me laugh, no da!  Not that it's always good…*looks around her work station*  People can't seem to understand why I sit here and laugh at the computer screen…*sigh*  Nani?  You're a congee expert?  I should have written you for some recipes!  ^_^  And the Shirtless Edition is fast approaching, na no da.  Are ya ready?  ^_~  Thank you again for your comments.  I really, really love them!

**_Kitsuna_** **_Ri_**:  Thank you! *beams*  So glad you like.  Ran and Ken are fine; never fear.  Cats do have nine lives, ne? ^_~

**_Cindy_** **_Poo_**:  ROFL.  Nani?  A new language, no da?  Hentai little Tryffin…Ceilen did like it too but he's a stubborn little monk, ne?  Thank you!

**_Sky_** **_Rat_**:  Glad you like Ceilen.  Thank you. ^_^  I hope he's not completely OOC, Chichiri isn't always so serious but he does have it in him.  Soon more of his past will be revealed and hopefully it will make his character more believable.  So…how's Descending Dementia coming along?  There are so little Tas/Chi/Tas out there…I would hate to have that story disappeared, no da. T_T

**_Sakusha_**:  Didn't I promise it'd be out by the time you returned?  How was your trip? Thank you for starting the FY version, no da!  So happy to read all seven of your reviews. *beams happily*  Even happier that you like the story. Hmmm…wonder if I should have Kenken break anything else?  ^_~  Thank you! (((HUGS)))

**_FireKat_**:  Thank you, glad you like the chapter.  *hugs you right back*

**_JessOshi_**: Thank you! *blushes*  Real glad you like the story.  I'll try and keep polishing my writing, no da…won't let it rust, I promise. ^_^

**_Jessalyn_**:  Thank you!  I SO feel the same way about Chichiri! *heart in eyes*  He's the best, no da! ^_^  I'm so glad you like this story as well as SOTH.  Heh heh heh…I do like Chiri a bit…um…dominant, ne?  But you can see glimpses of that in the anime as well.  Thanks again for your comments, I really appreciate them!

**_SLL_**:  LOL.  Updating, no da!  Thank you!

**_Riho_**: Thank you.  I'm glad you like the story.  

Thank you **_Hitari_**-**_chan_** for betaing!  *hugs*

Please enjoy!

**A Fine Line – FY**: _Chapter 8_ – Of Flotsam and Jetsam

By Moonraven   
  
  


_(Day 5, around mid-day - South China Sea)_   
  


Tryffin sat curled up on Ceilen's bed, his arms wrapped tightly around his drawn up legs. He rocked nervously back and forth as he tried to keep his mind from conjuring up images of the two men going down with the boat. He didn't even know who they were and they were going to die because of him. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he tightened his grip around his legs as he did his best to stop the shaking in his limbs.   
  


They were going to drown. His lips were numbed with dread and he pressed them together tightly. Images of swirling water crashed over his head, suffocating him as it rushed in his mouth and nose. He pressed his face between his knees and his chest, trying to hold back the scream that was threatening to burst through his control.   
  


They were going to die… just like his parents. Drowned. Dead. Drowned. Dead.   
  


"Tryffin!"   
  


Drowned.   
  


"Tryffin!"   
  


Dea—   
  


Strong hands shook him and Tryffin came out of his waking nightmare with a sharp intake of breath – he wasn't even aware that he'd stopped breathing.   
  


Ceilen was in front of him; his hands gripping both of Tryffin's shoulders firmly and he was shaking the lights out of him.   
  


"Oi!" Tryffin protested weakly and tried to pull away.   
  


Ceilen stopped the shaking but didn't remove his hands and continued to stare down at him, his expression thoughtful. "Look, I know this is hard for you… I shouldn't have…" Ceilen's struggle was actually quite painful to watch but Tryffin did nothing to ease his discomfort. His nearly numbed mind barely registered what the man was saying to him.   
  


They were going to drown… just like his parents. And it was all his fault…   
  
"… They're rather hard to kill. Just remember that, okay?"   
  


Hard to kill… Tryffin looked up into the brown eye doubtfully. Really?   
  


The serious eye stared back down at him, warming him, calming him. He blinked up and was ashamed to find that the back of his eyes were burning with unshed tears.   
  


"You'll get there in time?" Tryffin's voice was small as he shifted his grip from around his legs to Ceilen's arms. "They won't… die?"   
  


If Ceilen felt uncomfortable about Tryffin's hold on him he didn't show it. Instead he squeezed Tryffin's shoulders gently. "They had plenty of warning. I'm sure they'd found the lifeboat. Now breathe." Ceilen instructed gently.   
  


Tryffin continued to clutch at Ceilen's forearms as his panic stricken eyes darted about the room. "My parents had a life boat. I saw it. It was white with red trims…" His grip tightened and he began shaking again. "But… it didn't work, did it? No…"   
  


Tryffin saw his parents clearly in his mind, crying out to him as they were swallowed up by giant blue waves. "No…" He began to struggle but Ceilen's grip was strong. With an exasperated sound, Ceilen sat down on the bed and pulled Tryffin roughly into a tight embrace. Tryffin clutched desperately at the man's loose shirt, his body half lying in Ceilen's lap. He buried his face in his bodyguard's chest while breathing in the comforting scent of Ceilen and waited for the nightmare to recede back into the depth of his mind.   
  


After a few moments of silent rocking, Tryffin sighed; his fingers loosened their hold on Ceilen's shirt and his arms snaked around the man's neck as he pressed himself tighter against the older man. Why was it always like this? How could this insensitive, exasperating man be the only source of comfort amidst all his hellish fears? Why?   
  


"Are you alright now?" Ceilen's voice was strained as if he was struggling with one control issue or another. With the man, it was kinda hard to tell which.   
  


Tryffin nodded but refused to let go and buried his face tighter into the crook of Ceilen's neck. Just a few more minutes, please, he silently begged. Ceilen never let him this close unless he was freaking out of his mind and Tryffin wasn't sure if he would survive all the 'freaking' just to get some attention.   
  


Though it was very tempting...   
  


By this time, Ceilen was as stiff as a cardboard though he didn't make a move to get away. As Tryffin slowly relaxed, he suddenly realized why his bodyguard was so tense; somewhere in the middle of it all, Tryffin had climbed completely into Ceilen's lap and even had his legs wrapped snugly around the rigid man's waist.   
  


Oh boy. Tryffin blinked and wondered if he should wait for Ceilen to come out of the coma and shove him off. Maybe it would be better if he regained some of his dignity and get off the man before that happened.   
  


"Er, sorry, man." He mumbled and removed his arms gingerly. "I… er… thanks."   
  


Ceilen wasn't looking at him, rather at a point somewhere to the right. Tryffin figured he should get off now before the man popped a disc from all the stress… but his body didn't want to.   
  


It was safe here in Ceilen's arms. His nightmares and fears couldn't haunt him… couldn't paralyze him. The terrifying images of his parents and the unknown men were somehow muted and stayed relatively in the background… still there, yet allowed him some peace.   
  


Tryffin sighed. As much as he would like nothing more than to stay perched on Ceilen's lap, he didn't need Ceilen to have more stuff to get mad at him about… but the man was confusing to say the least. Tryffin couldn't believe Ceilen had allowed him to get this close again, not after what had happened last time. And even then, Tryffin knew that Ceilen wasn't indifferent to him. He knew that Ceilen, at one point or another, had wanted him, and desired him. So what the hell was stopping him?   
  


Involuntarily his eyes shifted to Ceilen's face. It was devoid of any emotion but Tryffin saw the tense set of Ceilen's jaw. Yet the man made no move to push him away…   
  


"Ceilen?"   
  


His bodyguard shifted his focus to Tryffin's eyes. They locked gazes for a moment then everything started to spin in the background. Tryffin grabbed onto Ceilen's shoulders tightly and closed his eyes to block out the insane imageries. When he opened them again, Ceilen was no longer there.   
  


Tryffin blinked and stared at the smiling man in front of him. He was no longer sitting on Ceilen but found himself on the blue-haired man instead, the man from his dreams.   
  


"As much as I like you where you are, we should get started, no da."   
  


Tryffin blinked again but before he could find a reply, his mouth was already shooting off things without running them by his brain first.   
  


"That's what I've been telling YOU, Chiri." Tryffin didn't know why he'd said that or who Chiri was? This whole thing seemed like a dream but he wasn't asleep, surely?   
  


The blue-haired man laughed and shook his head. "I meant 'started' on our way to the village, no da. That's NOT exactly what you'd proposed, na no da."   
  


"But MY idea is more fun, Chiri. C'mon… what's five more minutes." Tryffin found to his horror that his body moved forward without him commanding it to… and he was now licking the smiling lips of his companion rather suggestively.   
  


The man in front of him sighed and opened his mouth, then gave Tryffin a kiss that had an inevitable effect on his anatomy. "It's never five minutes, Tasuki-kun." Vaguely he wondered who Tasuki was but as the kiss deepened he began to care less. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the dream; the ones with the blue-haired man – Chiri – were always better than any he'd ever had. What the hell did it matter that he had no clue who the hell they were supposed to be.   
  


The kiss broke off gently and Tryffin sighed disappointedly at the loss of touch. He opened his eyes to voice his complaint but the shocked brown eye that stared back at him had him choking on the words.   
  


Ceilen.   
  


His bodyguard's wet, slightly swollen lips told Tryffin that it wasn't a dream… not to the other man, anyway. HE had been kissing Ceilen! For real!   
  


Tryffin gasped in shock and the sound echoed Ceilen's reaction. The other man's stunned expression led Tryffin to wonder if maybe his bodyguard had also witnessed the scene in his dream… did Ceilen see this Tasuki instead of Tryffin? Or could it just be that the man was surprised at the kiss.   
  


Ceilen stood up suddenly, unceremoniously depositing Tryffin on the floor. He stood there, staring down at Tryffin with what could only be described as severe shock. No…Tryffin didn't think surprise at the kiss caused that look. It was definitely more than that. Surprise certainly couldn't describe what Tryffin was feeling now.   
  


"What the…?" Tryffin muttered in confusion. "Who…?"   
  


Ceilen shook his head briskly and rubbed the spot between his eyebrows. Then frowned down at the redhead sprawling on the floor in disbelief. "What did you do?"   
  


"**_ME!?!_**" Tryffin scowled at Ceilen in disbelief. "I didn't DO shit! What the hell kind of tea did you make THIS time?"   
  


"I didn't make any tea." Ceilen continued to stare down at him but his expression now was confused.   
  


"So… what… did you see?" Tryffin asked.   
  


Ceilen's frowned was back but he didn't answer, he just stood there looking down at him.   
  


"Ceil---" Tryffin started but was interrupted when Ceilen's computers started to sound out alarms.   
  


Ceilen snapped out of whatever trance he was in and sprinted towards the sound immediately. Tryffin got up and went after him, their mutual dream temporarily on hold in face of potential danger.   
  


"What is it?" Tryffin asked, his eyes darting from screen to screen. He still had no clue which one was the problem.   
  


"We found them." Ceilen's voice was quiet as he typed something into the computer. An image changed on one screen and Tryffin found himself looking at the ocean. Ceilen typed in something else and the image zoomed in and now Tryffin could clearly see something floating in the water.   
  


Tryffin hissed sharply and clutched at the table. NO! They couldn't have been too late. Please, don't let them be too late!   
  


Another shift in the monitor and the small black thing floating in the water turned out to be a lifeboat. Tryffin could just make out two men sitting side by side in the middle of the craft. He sighed in relief and sagged bonelessly into the chair by the table.   
  


"Thank the gods!" He muttered with a small smile. "We made it in time."   
  


"Yes." Ceilen said distractedly as he continued to type things into the computer but now he was using more than one of them. "Stay here." He commanded quietly and headed for the door.   
  


"What are you going to do?" Tryffin asked from where he sat.   
  


Ceilen didn't look back as he walked through the door. "That depends on what I think of them." Then he was gone.   
  


Shit. Tryffin hoped for the two men's sakes that they didn't piss Ceilen off too badly… or it might just be better for them to stay on the raft.   
  


~*~*~   
  


Some time passed before Tryffin heard footsteps and hushed voices coming down the hall. He sighed in relief – again – Ceilen didn't feed them to the sharks after all. He swallowed and held his breath as he waited for the door to open… and waited…   
  


But no one came in. Tryffin frowned then got up and went to the door. He poked his head out and looked toward what he knew to be the steps leading up top. No one was in the hall but he heard voices coming from his cabin. Well, he couldn't really call it HIS cabin since most of his time he spent in Ceilen's but… oh hell, what the fuck was he doing arguing with himself?   
  


He stepped out into the hall and headed toward HIS cabin – so there! By the time he reached the open doorway and looked into the room, he wished he hadn't. His heart thumped strangely in his chest as conflicting emotions rushed through his body.   
  


In the room was Ken, wrapped in a blanket, lying on the bed propped up on one elbow, looking up nervously at Aya who was holding the mean looking katana to Ceilen's throat. In one of Ceilen's hands was a syringe and in another, a clear bottle of fluid. Tryffin blinked silently at the scene, gladness at seeing the two men safe and sound warred with fear for Ceilen's life. There was also confusion at seeing Aya and Ken again though he wasn't completely surprised. They seemed to show up in the oddest of places.   
  


"What's going on?" He asked from the doorway, his gaze shifting from one man to another. The electrifying charges in the room reminded him of the last time they were all together, in the parking lot by Tokyo bay.   
  


"Are you alright?" Aya asked without looking away from Ceilen.   
  


"Yeah… what's going on?" Tryffin asked again.   
  


Ken slumped back on the bed and waved his hand at Aya while rolling his eyes. "C'mon Aya, if he wanted to kill us he would have just shot us when we were in the boat. You don't think he would have hauled our asses up here, stick them full of needles and then dump them out again, do you?"   
  


Aya didn't say anything but the katana didn't waver.   
  


"What's going on?" Tryffin asked again, this time, coming into the room. He came to stand right by Aya's hand… the one holding the sword then looked from Aya's unreadable face to Ceilen's inscrutable one. Damn but they were so alike!   
  


"Look, I'm gonna sound like a parrot if I have to ask that question again… so… guys?"   
  


Aya finally lowered his katana and sheathed it silently. Then he held out his hand to Ceilen and after a brief hesitation, Ceilen handed him the glass bottle he was holding. Aya read the label then gave the bottle back to Ceilen. He looked Tryffin up and down critically to make sure the redhead was indeed all right before he moved to the foot of the bed and stood there watching Ceilen.   
  


"Um… and maybe you could put the needle away too, okay, Peregrine?" Ken turned to eye the syringe nervously.   
  


Peregrine? Tryffin raised his eyebrows at Ken then turned to his bodyguard inquiringly but the man was just bent on sticking Ken with said needle.   
  


"Are you allergic to penicillin?" Ceilen asked, obviously not listening to Ken.   
  


"You sound like a frigging doctor – no, I'm not allergic to penicillin but I am allergic to needles, so just put the damn thing away already." Ken grumbled and scooted closer to the wall, away from Ceilen.   
  


Tryffin suppressed the urged to giggle. Despite the tension in the room, this whole scene was just too damn funny.   
  


Ceilen frowned at Ken. "If my guess is right, you're going to need this antibiotic."   
  


"It's just a fever. I had them before; it'll go away by morning. I'm sure."   
  


Ceilen didn't say anything but looked pointedly at Aya. The taller redhead stared back then after a few moments, nodded.   
  


"Stop whining, Ken. You're sounding like Youji."   
  


"Ha!" Came the squawk from the bed. Then Ken hissed sharply and clutched at his chest.   
  


"Look, you've picked up a lung infection when you swallowed some water. It could get dangerous and since we're not going anywhere near a medical facility and I certainly didn't pick you up so I can bury you..." Ceilen trailed off as he stuck the needle into the top of the little glass jar and drew out some liquid. "Give me your arm."   
  


Ken grumbled but stuck his arm out of the blanket, glaring the whole time. When Ceilen was done with Ken, he turned to Aya. "That's all I can do. I don't have a very wide range of antibiotics and if he doesn't get better with what I have…" Ceilen's voice trailed off but his eyes remained locked onto Aya's.   
  


Aya nodded grimly but didn't say anything.   
  


Tryffin frowned as he looked from the two men to Ken. "What are you talking about? How bad is he?"   
  


They both ignored him, of course. What did he expect?   
  


"Keep him warm. I'll be back with some oxygen." Ceilen told Aya quietly then left them the three of them alone.   
  


"Oxygen?" Tryffin repeated numbly. Was Ken really that bad?   
  


The brunette groaned and pulled the cover over his head then turned his back on them. He mumbled something Tryffin didn't quite catch then snorted.   
  


"That's really mature, Ken." Aya said as he eyed the lump under the cover.   
  


Tryffin raised his eyebrows. "What did he say?"   
  


"You don't want to know."   
  


"Oh." Tryffin blinked up at the taller redhead then turned his gaze to Ken. "Is he going to be okay?"   
  


More muttering was heard from the lump and since Tryffin had no idea what was said, he turned his attention to Aya instead.   
  


"Ken..." Aya muttered but Tryffin saw the softening in his expression.   
  


At that moment, Ceilen returned with a slender green tank a couple of feet long and a black rubbery looking hose with a mouthpiece of some kind. It looked very much like the scuba gear Tryffin had seen on TV but the air tank was much smaller and the whole thing looked less complicated somehow.   
  


Ceilen went and knelt down by the bed then started to hook up the tank to the hose he was carrying. When he was done, he turned the valve on top of the tank and tapped the gauge with the tip of his finger. Then Ceilen reached over and shook Ken's shoulder gently.   
  


Ken muttered then poked his head out from under his blanket and looked over his shoulder at them. His hair was tousled and his face flushed from the fever but he managed to give Ceilen a feisty glower.   
  


The unfazed Ceilen silently handed him the mouthpiece and instructed, "This goes between your teeth. Inhale with your mouth and exhale through you nose."   
  


Ken lowered his gaze to the oxygen tank, to the mouthpiece then sighed. He rolled over to face Ceilen then took the mouthpiece and did what Ceilen had told him.   
  


"One hour." Ceilen instructed Ken then got up and turned to Aya. "That's pure oxygen but I don't have a lot of it. When his temperature comes down, we can take him off it." Ceilen rummaged through his 'first-aid' kit and came up with a bottle.   
  


Aya took it, read the label then nodded his thanks. Or so it appeared. Silent communication was never Tryffin's strong point… he was always the vocal one but since his stay with Ceilen, he'd learned a few things. Tryffin looked back to Ken and the brunette was watching the exchange with tired eyes.   
  


"Why don't you lie back down?" Tryffin moved over to gently push Ken onto his back and tugged the blanket snugly around the sick man. "I won't let them kill each other, I promise."   
  


Aya came up next to them and handed Ken some pills and a glass of water. Ken took the mouthpiece off and took them grudgingly. "And that's a bad thing because?" He muttered to Tryffin before swallowing the pills and some water.   
  


Aya, ignoring Ken, turned back to Ceilen and asked, "What are your plans?"   
  


Ceilen shrugged. "That's pretty screwed already, don't you think?" He ran a hand through his hair unhappily. "If you mean my plans concerning you two, I don't know yet. I've already lost half a day coming for you and I can't afford to lose anymore time."   
  


After a short silence, Aya asked another question. "Are you following some people from the faction?"   
  


Ceilen looked sharply at him but didn't reply right away. He narrowed his eye at them then asked back, "What is your assignment?"   
  


Aya shrugged. "It depends."   
  


Ceilen stared.   
  


"We're winging this one." Ken whispered from the bed.   
  


Ceilen was silent as he stared searchingly at Aya. Then, as if he wasn't sure he could trust what he saw there, he turned to look at Ken. Tryffin saw Ken nod almost imperceptibly before the sick brunette closed his eyes tiredly.   
  


Ceilen thought about that for a moment then shook his head. His looked really upset and Tryffin couldn't understand why. It was obvious that the two men they picked up were willing to help Ceilen. Why was Ceilen resisting it?   
  


"It has nothing to do with us." Ken mumbled from the bed, his eyes half closed. "We heard you the first few times. But that's where you're wrong. WE are part of Kritiker. This makes it our business as much as it does yours, more so since we're STILL part of the organization and you're not." By the time Ken was done, he was panting heavily.   
  


Aya gently push the mouthpiece back in place before straightening up to face the troubled Ceilen. "We're doing some research of our own and we know about his---" Aya's eyes darted to Tryffin but Ceilen cut him off sharply.   
  


"No! Not now."   
  


The two men stared at each other silently. Tryffin wondered what Aya was going to say… his what? Whose… what? Was he referring to Tryffin? And why 'not now'?   
  


"I'll bring in a cot for you." Ceilen said quietly. "I only have one spare cabin so you'll have to share. Someone should be with him anyway, at least for the first 24 hours."   
  


The taller man nodded – basic Aya communication skill – then he motioned towards Tryffin. "And him?"   
  


Ceilen's frown was back as he glanced at Tryffin. "He's been sleeping in my cabin."   
  


Choking noises from the bed had the attention of all three men. Ken seemed to be in a coughing fit but he waved them away carelessly. He removed the mouthpiece again and this time managed to smirk at Tryffin. "Man, you don't waste any time, do you?"   
  


Tryffin tried hard not to blush but knew he failed miserably. He glowered and shoved the mouthpiece back into the brunette's mouth. "Shut up. It's NOT like that!"   
  


He glanced quickly at Aya and nearly groaned out loud at the openly amused expression on the other redhead's face.   
  


Ceilen looked from him to Aya then to Ken, his frown deepening with each man. "No, it's not like that at all." He said that rather indignantly. Tryffin was miffed. "He has hydrophobia. But since you're here, maybe he won't feel the need to latch onto me every time he thinks about the ocean. Maybe I should bring in two cots?"   
  


Tryffin swore his face was redder than the killer tomatoes in Ceilen's lame sci-fi movie. He sputtered and waved his arms around wildly. "It's your goddamn fault for bringing it up all the time! And I DON'T latch on to you!"   
  


Aya raised his eyebrows at Tryffin. "You're afraid of water?" Then he turned to Ceilen. "And you brought him on a boat."   
  


Both Tryffin and Ceilen glared at him while Ken chuckled softly on the bed.   
  


"You should have left them on that goddamn raft!" Tryffin muttered gruffly to Ceilen.   
  


"I can always put them back." The older man replied, his expression revealing nothing of his actual thoughts.   
  


Ken choked on his oxygen, while Aya did his best to keep his face straight.   
  


This was going to be one LONG trip.   
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


_(Day 5 late night - Japan)_   
  
  


"Will you hold that still?" Shinji scolded when the light from their flashlight wavered for the umpteenth time.   
  


"Someone's coming!" Kouji hissed and tried to pull the younger man behind the file cabinet.   
  


"I almost got it!" Shinji hissed back but before he could pull the file out, he was yanked away. "Kouji-san!"   
  


"Shh!"   
  


"At least close the damn cabinet!"   
  


Kouji reached over to the front of the cabinet then gingerly pulled it shut. Hushed voices could be heard outside the door and Kouji watched as a dim glow of light shone through the bottom of the door. Jingling of keys and muffled rattling of the door handle had Kouji pulling Shinji deeper into the shadows, behind rows of cabinets.   
  


Then Kouji heard a startled squawk as the door started to open, followed by, "Youji-kun! THAT is not the door handle!"   
  


"You weren't complaining a while ago."   
  


"We weren't sneaking in Kritiker's storage room a while ago!"   
  


"Shh, Omitchi. For an assassin, you sure are noisy."   
  


Assassin? Kouji's hold around Shinji's waist tightened but the young man in his grasp just chuckled and wiggled. Then to Kouji's dismay, Shinji called out, "For assassins, BOTH of you are noisy."   
  


Silence greeted them momentarily then Kouji heard soft laughter on the other side of the cabinet.   
  


Shinji pulled himself free and tugged on Kouji's arm as he walked towards the voices, then he shone his flashlight at the two newcomers. Both figures squinted back at them in the light but the shorter young man smiled amidst the glare. He was currently pinned against the back of the door by the taller young man wearing sunglasses – _which made absolutely no sense to Kouji whatsoever, seeing that it was at night_ – who looked slightly irritated at the untimely interruption.   
  


"Shinji-kun." The smaller young man waved at the light and Shinji lowered it to the ground. "Fancy meeting you here."   
  


"I'm working, I don't know about you two." Kouji noted the smile in Shinji's voice but he did not remove his hand from around Shinji's waist. The kid may know these people but HE still didn't know what the hell was going on or whom he could trust.   
  


"I'm working… on Omitchi here." The taller man said with a lazy smile then he flickered his eyes - over the rim of the sunglasses – to Kouji. He smirked then looked back at Shinji. "What are YOU working on?"   
  


"Baka." Shinji muttered, shaking his head. "You get horny at the oddest places, I swear." Then he turned to Kouji and smiled. "Kouji-san, may I introduce you to two of my colleagues? The one being groped is Bombay and the one doing the groping is Balinese."   
  


Kouji frowned. "Then who's Omitchi and Youji-kun?" He asked.   
  


Shinji sighed then glared at the two men. Apparently, they weren't supposed to have used those names.   
  


"Nevermind." Kouji said quickly. "I don't want to know."   
  


"Good." All three said at the same time, huge smiles on their faces.   
  


"So… did you find anything?" Omitchi or Bombay asked as he disengaged himself from the 'groper', who didn't look like he wanted to let the young man go.   
  


"Not yet." Shinji said lightly as he turned back to the cabinet. "You guys interrupted us."   
  


"We could leave." Balinese said mildly as he and Bombay joined them. "We have unfinished business to attend to." He ran a playful hand down Bombay's back and the young man shivered delightedly.   
  


"Youji-kun!" Bombay admonished in a hushed voice.   
  


"Okay… you guys make up your mind." Kouji interrupted. "Is it Balinese or Youji? Bombay or Omitchi?"   
  


Shinji sighed and shook his head but he didn't turn away from the files he was digging through. The two newcomers smiled and shrugged.   
  


"It's Omi." The taller young man said with a calculated smile. "Only ***I*** can call him Omitchi."   
  


"Ah." Kouji nodded. "And can ***I*** call you Youji or is that only for him?"   
  


Shinji and Omi laughed quietly while Youji's smile got bigger. "You can call me Youji. **HE** calls me something else entirely."   
  


Omi groaned and hid his face in his hands. "Youji-kun!"   
  


"Found it." Shinji announced and pulled out a file.   
  


"I can't believe Kritiker is leaving paper trails... literally." Youji muttered, suddenly all business. Kouji looked around and felt like he was with a different set of people. Gone were the bickering friends and lovers, in front of him were trained killers – assassins. Kouji shivered and tried to focus his attention on the papers that Shinji held in front of him but his mind kept reminding him otherwise.   
  


"After what Cei… Peregrine had found, I guess even THEY can't trust electronic information." Shinji sifted through the pages then muttered in frustration. "It's not here." He handed the folder to Kouji. "But Shitahara's file is here."   
  


Kouji frowned down at the file then back up at the young man. "The proof?" He asked softly.   
  


Shinji smiled tightly and nodded. He took a hold of Kouji's hands that were gripping the folder tightly. "You don't have to read it. The details are pretty gruesome and graphic."   
  


Kouji shook his head. "I have to know. He was… I thought he was my friend."   
  


"I've shown you what we do… that we are not villains." Shinji squeezed his hands and looked questioningly up at him. "I think you've realized that you may have been mistaken about him."   
  


Kouji shook his head stubbornly. "Doesn't matter. I have to know."   
  


"He's dead. There's nothing you can do. If he was a good friend of yours… maybe what's in this folder really doesn't matter."   
  


"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Kouji snatched his hands away roughly. "It mattered enough for him to die for. It mattered enough for THEM to come after Tryffin. It mattered enough for you to think they might come after me too. So what do you mean 'it doesn't matter'?"   
  


Shinji stared back at him sadly. "If you want to remember him as a good friend, then forget the folder. Apparently he was a different person with you. He was a friend. Maybe there was something worth remembering… by someone… something that isn't monstrous. Something… good, something that he himself had forgotten." Shinji looked away suddenly. "I haven't seen anything worth treasuring in a long time, Kouji-san. If there is something…" He shook his head then went back to the file cabinet. "Do what you want, I still haven't found what I'm looking for."   
  


Kouji involuntarily shivered at the suddenly cold tone from the young man. He wondered what kind of lives these 'assassins' lived. What kinds of horrors did they see that just a tiny glimpse of goodness would make them cling on so tightly?   
  


A tiny blipping sound from Omi's direction made him turn towards the young man. Omi had a small palm sized gadget out and was looking at the tiny screen attached to a mini keyboard. It looked like a very small laptop.   
  


"Nao-san." Omi whispered then glanced sideways at Youji. "He's here."   
  


Shinji stopped his search and looked over his shoulders at his two colleagues.   
  


"I'll take care of him." Youji said quietly and turned to go.   
  


"No." Omi said firmly. "I'll go."   
  


"Omi."   
  


"We agreed that you wouldn't baby me." Omi said sternly.   
  


"I'm not." Youji said innocently. "I'm doing my part in the team."   
  


"Why don't you both go?" Kouji wanted to know.   
  


Shinji stared at the glaring couple for a few seconds then he closed the cabinet door softly. "I'll go with Omi." He walked between the two lovers and pulled on Omi's wrist as he walked passed. "See if you can find anything on the Atlantis project, will you, Youji-kun? We'll be back shortly."   
  


Before the taller man could protest, the two younger men left the room. Youji growled and slammed a fist into his palm. "If he touches a hair on Omi's head, so help him god…" He stopped and turned guiltily towards Kouji. "Er… I meant Nao, not Shinji."   
  


Kouji shrugged. "I didn't think you meant Shinji."   
  


"Oh." Youji rubbed at the back of his head. "Yeah, of course. Now where was he?" He walked up to the file cabinet then started rummaging through the files.   
  


While Youji went about his business, Kouji continued to eye the file in his hand uncertainly. Did he want to know? Did he need to know? Yes, damn it! It couldn't be true. But what if it were true? What if Shitahara really did those things? What then?   
  


No. His friend couldn't possibly be the monster they made him out to be. Sure he was a bit rough when he got excited – well, maybe a lot rougher than most people but he had never seen anyone permanently damaged. Kouji's frowned deepened as he remembered how Tryffin had always thought something was wrong with his friend. Tryffin didn't trust Shitahara and when he spent time with him, Tryffin had always came home with bruises.   
  


Kouji closed his eyes in annoyance. Did he really want to know?   
  


"What's taking them so long?" Youji muttered beside him. Kouji looked to the tall man who was now staring at the gadget identical the one Omi had. Kouji blinked at the worried expression on Youji's handsome face in confusion. Were they gone that long? Youji was already working on a different file cabinet. How long was Kouji out of it? Did it take him that long debating with himself?   
  


"Stay here and hide." Youji instructed him shortly and he pocketed the little computer and headed for the door.   
  


Kouji tucked the file he was holding into the waistband in the back of his pants then followed the taller man. "I don't think so."   
  


Youji turned to him abruptly. "Stay here. It could get dangerous."   
  


Kouji pulled out his gun and gave Youji a grim smile.   
  


Youji stared at him for a moment then shrugged. "Whatever." He said carelessly and turned back to the door. "Just try not to shoot me." He tossed over his shoulders.   
  


"Try not to tempt me." Kouji returned.   
  


Youji chuckled softly but didn't reply. They turned off their flashlights and followed the corridor in semi darkness, making sure to hug the walls. After a few minutes, Kouji tugged on Youji's blond locks. "Do you know where you're going?" He whispered.   
  


"Of course I do!" Youji whispered back… a bit loudly. Despite his supposed confidence, Youji pulled out the little palm computer again and pressed a series of numbers and letters. He muttered when what he wanted to see did not appear on the screen. "Damn it, where are they?" 

Kouji frowned. "Who's Nao?"   
  


Youji didn't bother looking at him but continued to fiddle with the gadget. "A very bad man."   
  


"Are they in danger?"   
  


Youji did not answer but snapped the computer shut then started along the corridor once again.   
  


Kouji fished into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He started to dial his men when Youji suddenly turned and snatched the phone away. "Hey!" Kouji hissed and tried to get it back.   
  


"What are you doing?" Youji looked at the phone and the number Kouji tried to call.   
  


"Call for back up." Duh!   
  


"Are you crazy? Didn't Shinji tell you who we're dealing with?" Youji promptly turned off the phone then pocketed that too.   
  


"Hey!" Kouji protested.   
  


"They'll get to us before your men get here." Youji sighed heavily at the look on his face. "Shinji told you we are dealing with VERY, VERY BAD men. Stay close to me and… and try not to get killed."   
  


Youji started down the corridor again and Kouji followed numbly. "What about Shinji and Omi?"   
  


Youji paused but didn't stop. "I don't know but they better be okay or there'll be a whole lot of fucking hell to pay."   
  


Chills ran down Kouji's spine at the dangerous edge in Youji's voice. Kouji didn't have any doubt that the deadly promise would be carried out. He just hoped that it wouldn't be necessary and that if it were; he wouldn't be around to witness the carnage.   
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


_(About the same time - South China Sea)_   
  


"His temperature is still down." Tryffin announced as he entered Ceilen's cabin – then wished he hadn't. The scene before him was becoming all too familiar. Every time he turned around Aya and Ceilen were at each other's throats. Currently, it wasn't so literal. They were just glaring daggers at each other.   
  


Both men turned towards him as he spoke, then Ceilen turned away and went to his computers.   
  


"Is he awake?" Aya asked.   
  


Tryffin nodded and came to sit on the bed, drawing his legs under him. It was strange that neither Aya nor Ken could quell his fears like Ceilen could. He had been taking care of Ken for the last couple of hours and now he was drained. His fears had been eating away at him a little at a time and even if it wasn't a full-blown panic attack; it was enough to tire him out after a few hours.   
  


"I gave him more water, that was all he would take. What are you guys fighting about this time?"   
  


No one spoke but the look they threw at each other was enough for Tryffin to regret asking. When Aya started talking again, Tryffin knew he was going to find out the hard way.   
  


"We are NOT staying on board."   
  


"You can't expect Ken to---" Ceilen stopped abruptly, his eye shifted to Tryffin.   
  


"What?" The redhead asked (FY's redhead ^^;;) as he looked from Ceilen to Aya, then back to Ceilen again. "What don't you want Ken to do?"   
  


Aya narrowed his eyes at Ceilen, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Yes, Peregrine, what can't Ken do?"   
  


"The name is Ceilen." Ceilen growled but didn't answer the question. Tryffin watched his bodyguard carefully. Ceilen was doing that 'you don't want to know' thing again.   
  


"Why do you call him Peregrine?" Tryffin asked Aya instead. If he changed the subject, he might defuse the situation before it got out of hand. Later he could steer it back to the 'what Ken can't do' issue.   
  


Aya shrugged. "To us, he's Peregrine."   
  


"Is it like the Abyssinian and Siberian thing? A nickname? How cute!"   
  


Ceilen suddenly had a coughing fit and Aya's face turned different shades of red. "They're CODENAMES, not nicknames! And they're NOT cute."   
  


It was Tryffin's turn to shrug. "You're a kitty and he's a birdie. Sounds cute to me."   
  


Aya narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Let see if you'll still think it's cute when your little birdie makes you swim ashore."   
  


Tryffin froze, the little smirk he wore dropped like a dead weight. He heard a gasp from Ceilen but he couldn't see his bodyguard; he was hidden behind the computer screen. He turned back to Aya. "Very funny."   
  


"Is it?" Aya gave him a cold look then walked toward the door. "I'll leave you to discuss it while I check on Ken." Then he was gone.   
  


Tryffin rocked back and forth on the bed, his eyes riveted to the top of Ceilen's head, the only thing he could see above the screen. "He's joking, right?" He asked quietly.   
  


When Ceilen didn't answer Tryffin got up and went over to stare down at his bodyguard. "Tell me."   
  


"It hasn't been decided." Ceilen said, his eye not meeting Tryffin.   
  


"So… you might leave me on board with Aya and Ken?" Tryffin asked hopefully. But then Aya didn't want to stay… "I can stay with Ken instead." He offered quickly, remembering Ceilen's comment to Aya's objection.   
  


"Like I said." Ceilen looked up coldly. "It hasn't been decided."   
  


"You WERE planning on talking to me BEFORE you decide, right?" Tryffin asked, his temper began rising and his fear took the back seat.   
  


"What's there to talk about?" Ceilen asked, his own temper rose as well. "You would just refuse regardless of any discussion."   
  


"What the hell is that supposed to mean? So… you're just gonna knock me out and drag me ashore, is that it?" Tryffin boomed over the computer monitor as he glared down at his bodyguard.   
  


"Actually, you need to be conscious for what I have in mind." Ceilen glared back up at him.   
  


"Wh—what do you have in mind?" Tryffin's voice faltered as his mind filled with Ceilen dragging him across the water. He shuddered uncontrollably.   
  


Ceilen sighed heavily. "It hasn't been decided." Ceilen repeated for the third time. "I'm looking for alternatives, so don't panic just yet."   
  


Tryffin took long breaths and nodded. "Okay… but promise you won't… I mean you WILL tell me before you do… anything?"   
  


"Of course." Ceilen said with a quick nod.   
  


Tryffin narrowed his eyes at his innocent looking bodyguard. Now why didn't he believe that?   
  


"Didn't I promise that I wouldn't let anything happen to you?" Ceilen asked softly and Tryffin found himself drowning in that warm brown depth of Ceilen's eye. He nodded dumbly, his heart fluttering in his chest. What the…? He was supposed to be pissed, damn it, not melt! He refused to melt!   
  


The corner of Ceilen's lips turned up slightly and Tryffin's heart skipped several beats. That was an almost-smile!   
  


Tryffin melted.   
  


Damn!   
  
  
  


TBC…   
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Note:  The WK version will pick up from somewhere in the middle of this chapter.  I won't start it from where I left off in AFL-WK-8.  It should move along much faster now that they are closing in on the baddies. ^_^  I think. ^^;;

Thank you everyone.  You are all wonderful people!  ^___^****


	9. Of Cats and Dogs

**Author's notes and warnings:** I'm not too happy with Stargate-Atlantis. Not their fault really, but it sure brings my enthusiasm for my Atlantis idea down quite a bit. Who would have known they were planning something like that? And although I'm not using a Stargate…it's just way too similar. ::sighs:: But then again…great minds think alike, ne? Uh…but I'm not so sure theirs so great.

Anyway…if you've read AFL-WK-9, you would know that The Atlantis Project involves dimensional traveling of some kind… This is my way of linking A Fine Line to the Universe of the Four Gods. I honestly thought it was brilliant until Stargate-Atlantis came out. ::shakes head:: You'll find out exactly how it all works in a bit, ne? I'm so sorry this took so long but various plot bunnies bigger than AFL's were at large.

All the thanks go to my wonderful reviewers:

**_Vapidbreath:_** Thank you! Sexy, huh? ::grins:: Wait til you see this chapter…

**_Balletanimerose_**: Anou…I mailed you regarding the OOCness of Chichiri, I'm not sure if you'd gotten the email. It goes back the issue of nurture vs. nature again, ne? Circumstances in this particular life would dictate how he behaves… As for the names…I can't believe we all have the names we did in our past lives…besides, I thought Tryffin and Ceilen were cool. Heh heh, gomen…

**_Sakata_**: How was the move? Are you settled…and writing? ::hugs:: How can I NOT read and review one of my favorite authors? Eagerly waiting for more Kaiba & Jou from you. Hey! More Tas and Chiri would be nice too!

**_Kagemihari_**: Er…hmm…well, Tasuki sure is going to tried very hard for Chiri to nail him but it's not gonna happen yet. ::sweatdrop:: Sorry. Bishounen Torture 101 – hold off as long as you can. ::giggles:: I'm glad you like Shinji. He'll show up next chapter. This one is all Chichiri and Tasuki. Thank you for your review!

**_Whisper_** **_Reilman_**: ::huggles you:: I've always enjoy your reviews, thank you so much! It's getting real close to that shirtless edition I promised. Tryffin now just have to deal with the water, ne? How are you?

**_JC_**: I emailed, no da! ::beams:: Thank you for your comments. I'm glad you liked the characters.

**_Tearlesereph_**: ::ROFL:: No, Tryffin hasn't gotten laid yet. ::giggles:: Ceilen is being difficult, no da! I'm working on it, I promise. And no again for the past life question. It won't make a big impact but being from the Universe of the Four Gods alone is a big factor in the plot. Thank you!

**_Yuki_** **_Bombay_**: Thank you!!! So glad the chapter met with your approval!

**_Keimei_**: ::LOL:: Love, love, love your unusual review. ::happy grin:: Thank you so much. It was hard to get all the character some 'screen time' but I managed, ne? Uh…not this chapter though. ::sigh:: Thanks again!

**_Hana_** **_no Ceres_**: ::laughs:: Just concentrate on the boys, huh? Well this chapter is very much just Ceilen and Tryffin…so you might like it. Thank you for your comments!

**_Ashen_** **_Skies_**: Thank you! Yes, the plot thickens, no da! Hmmm…next chapter of the WK version will have more Ran/Ken time…I'm hoping to get more Youji and Omi in as well but Ceilen and Tryffin likes to hog all the time…

**_Akennea_**: I'M WRITING, I'M WRITING!

**_Sakusha_**: ::giggling madly:: Reading the Ceilen/Tryffin dialogue in your review had me in a fit! Kawaii, no da! You should start writing FY yourself, ne? Ne? C'mon…you know you want to… ::hugs::

**_Ambika_**-**_chan_**: You finished Scar, no da! Very nicely done too! Anymore Tas/Chi or Chi/Tas from you anytime soon? How is school? How are you?

**_Hcbenitez_**: Hee hee hee…I say we throw Tas in the deep end but Chichiri was against it. So he's taking over the project, ne? Oh, you mentioned you didn't like the name "Atlantis"… gomen… It's too late to change it, no da. Thank you for the review!

**_Jessalyn_**: You saw it too????? Yep, yep. ::nods:: I only saw the anime but Chichiri really is NOT weak…not even as a chibi! ::giggles and snuggles Chiri:: So glad you like the chapter. Thank you for your comments!

**_Heather_**: Yeh! Glad you haven't lost me…but I have your email address. Hee hee hee… Arigatou, na no da!!! Oh, and I heard that you're responsible for Allis reading my story now? ::big grin:: You're so sweet, thank you.

**_Unofficial_** **_Schwarz_**: Um…er…no lemon yet but the boys are really trying, I promise. Maybe in the next chapter in a flashback or something… Ceilen is being such a prude, I swear! Thank you for reviewing!

**_Krysana_**: ::hugs moto-chan:: heh heh heh…yeah, if I write a lemon for them that lasts five minutes I think they'd skin me alive! I'm glad my favorite cyber-sister is getting a kick out of the last chapter, ne? Thank you for all the stuff you sent…I can't write without listening to Kimeru now… ::more hugs::

**_Sirrah_**: ::big chibi teary eyes:: You are so sweet! ::glomps:: Your review made me all waffy inside…thank you so much. It's so fantastic to know that you like the story. I'm beyond happy!!! And I wish you luck with your muses too…Soul Calibre…is that a video game?

**_Cindy_** **_Poo_**: Yep, they kissed and they plan on kissing some more, no da!!! ::shakes head:: Can't take them anywhere… Thank you!

**_SLL_**: Oh, gomen, gomen…I couldn't fit Kouji and Shinji in but they'll show up in the next WK version. I'm sorry you don't read that portion…but I'm glad the story still makes sense to you. Thank you for reading and reviewing! ::hugs::

**_Shoseki_**: More coming right up!

**_Allis_**: Hello! ::waves back:: I must thank Heather for recommending my story…er…I think I did. ::grins and hugs Heather And thank you for listening to her! ::laughs:: I'm glad you like AFL. I'll try to write much faster, I promise. Austria…wow…that is co cool. And boy, am I glad you were joking about Tasuki/Tama…THAT just would never fly with me. But thanks again for taking the time to comment…

**_Polynesia_**: Oh dear…your first R rated fic? Hmmm…I'll warn you if it gets steamier than this, okay? Eh…more steam coming up! Not much but I'm earning my R rating! And for the record, **I** didn't rag on the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes…Tryffin did. Thank you!

**_Baka_**-**_chan_**: ::giggles:: How are you? Your review is so cute. ::happy smile:: Thank you, sweetie! How's Wuffie?

**_Fire_** **_Pendant_**: That's okay about reviewing late…I'm just so darn happy you took the time to review at all! Thank you so much, I'm ecstatic that you like the chapter.

**_Kiawna_**: Thank you! For Songs of the Heart too. Glad you like them.

**_Tasukifangirl_**: ::laughs:: Demand…with a please. The best kind, no da! Well, here it is; chapter nine. Hope you like it as well. Thank you!

**_JC_**: Uh…are you the same JC… ::looks up the list of reviews:: …that said the characters seem canon? If you are…another hug for you! If not…well…um…thank you too! And here's a ::HUG:: just for you.

**_Leila:_** Welcome back! Thank you for taking the time and I'm really happy you like the story. ::grins::

_Special thanks go to Hitari-chan who labored tirelessly through the hurricane and my horrible grammar…Xellas for always being so supportive even when I threw all kinds of insanity at her._

This chapter is a little long. I have to deal with the pre-mentioned phobia and there is no short believable way about it. The method that Ceilen is teaching Tryffin is quite real. It's loosely – very loosely - based on a program that teaches people who are afraid of water to swim. Please keep in mind that while this method is real, it normally takes weeks to months – depending on the individual, to master it. Tryffin is just going through it at hyper speed. ::major sweatdrops:: I don't have three chapter to spend on it, ne? And then the boys just took over… ::shakes head:: I hope it's not too boring…

**_Special note:_** I'm combining the stories at this point…the boys are together now so it's really going to be super redundant if I have to write all the chapters with same scenes but different POV. So the chapters will continue from where I left off in the WK version. If this is going to be a problem, I can write a recap of the WK chapter up here for anyone who doesn't read that section of the story. Please let me know. Thank you.

**Warning**: Lots of Ceilen/Tryffin snuggliness in this chapter.

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**A Fine Line – FY** Chapter 9 – _Of Cats and Dogs_

By Moonraven

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(Day six – after Ran and Ken left the room with the information on The Atlantis Project)

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"You know, I don't appreciate you treating me like I'm a blabber mouth or something." Tryffin didn't go to the bed like he had been instructed to, but stood glaring down at his bodyguard angrily. "We're in the middle of a goddamn ocean, who the hell am I supposed to blab to?"

Ceilen didn't bother looking up from his work as he waved airily to the bed. "It's not that. Go practice."

Tryffin gritted his teeth and took several deep breaths. "No."

Ceilen closed his eyes momentarily and then looked up calmly at him. "I have to find Mamoru. Can we please discuss your ability to keep your mouth shut at another time?"

"I thought you were looking for someone named Omi."

Ceilen waved at him again. Tryffin growled.

Ceilen looked up this time and frowned at him. "They're the same person and if I don't find him soon…" Ceilen paused, looking slightly frazzled. "He could be in great danger."

Tryffin stared at his bodyguard silently, not knowing what to say. He felt responsible for everyone else's well-being… First it had been the drowning pair of kittens and now this green blinking Omi-Mamoru-dot.

Ceilen went back to his computer without waiting for his reply, as if he knew that Tryffin wouldn't have anything to say anyway.

Tryffin hated that. So he plopped down on a chair next to Ceilen and watched his bodyguard work. He wasn't about to admit defeat and going back to the bed would have said just that.

Ceilen glared at the screen but said nothing to him. After a few minutes, Tryffin saw that Ceilen had enlarged the location where the green Omi-dot was and now they were looking at the map of an area somewhere in the South China Sea.

Ceilen stared at the map for a long time, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully. Tryffin couldn't help blinking at his arctic-cold bodyguard in surprise. The image of Ceilen chewing on his bottom lip was strangely…heartwarming. Tryffin found himself smiling and wanting to reach out and kiss the abused lip.

Ceilen must have noticed him staring, for he turned and looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Tryffin's smile got bigger at the puzzled look on the other man's face. "Nothing."

Ceilen frowned at him and then went back to staring at the screen. Tryffin sighed quietly: no more lip biting.

"He's not gonna jump out of the monitor no matter how hard you stare." But then again, Tryffin wasn't so sure. The man could put names to some blinking dots, maybe he could make them do stuff too. "He isn't…is he?"

Ceilen made a snorting sound that could be interpreted as a laugh…if one were desperate enough. "I'm not THAT good."

Tryffin turned and blinked at him. "How good are you?"

Tryffin's jaw nearly hit the ground when Ceilen turned and smiled genuinely at him. "That would be telling."

Damn but his bodyguard was bent on shocking him to death one way or another, wasn't he? Tryffin gaped and before his stunned mind could come up with a witty reply, Ceilen turned back to the monitor. This time instead of glaring at it, he muttered to himself softly.

"What's that?" Tryffin hated to be kept in the dark almost as much as he hated being predictable.

"Looks like we don't have to go to them after all." Ceilen muttered a bit louder but Tryffin wasn't sure if that was for his benefit or not.

"Go to whom?" Didn't he say he hated to be kept in the dark?

Ceilen turned to give him an annoyed look. "The bad guys who took Omi."

"Oh. Why?"

"Apparently, they are coming here as well. Come on. You need to practice." Ceilen stood up and walked to the bed, leaving a frowning Tryffin behind.

"You know, you've been alone for far too long. You're going loony up here." Tryffin tapped his head meaningfully. "Instead of talking to yourself or your damn cabinets or some damn blinking dots, why not talk to me?" Tryffin grumbled as he grudgingly followed the older man.

"I AM talking to you." Ceilen pointed out as he sat down at the foot of the bed. He folded his legs underneath him then motioned for Tryffin to sit facing him further up the bed.

Tryffin frowned but complied. "Most of the time you talk AT me." The redhead was still grumbling unhappily. "You must think I'm an idiot or something but you know what? That project of yours? Well, if it's what I think it is, I may know more about it than you think."

Tryffin moved the pillow off to the chair and then settled himself more comfortably on the bed. His posture mimicked Ceilen's and when he was done, he looked up at his suddenly motionless bodyguard. Ceilen was staring at him as if Tryffin had learned how to swim and hadn't told him.

"What?"

"What do you know about the Atlantis Project?"

Tryffin felt like sticking his tongue out at the man. "That would be telling."

Ceilen narrowed his eye dangerously.

Tryffin clicked his tongue disapprovingly and shook his head. "If you want me to share, you're going to have to be nicer than that."

Ceilen studied him for a moment then snorted derisively. "You're bluffing. You don't know anything."

"Really." Even though Tryffin had a pretty good idea that he was being baited, he couldn't help but bite. "So I wouldn't know then that Atlantis could very well be Indonesia or rather, a MUCH larger Indonesia some, oh…eleven thousand years ago?" Tryffin shrugged dramatically. "Or that it didn't sink because of a volcanic eruption, but the lower lands were covered by water at the end of an ice age? So…Indonesia as it is today was only a tiny part of a huge land mass. And I definitely wouldn't know that this lost civilization may or may not have some weird 'portal' of some---"

"Enough!" Ceilen stared at him hard, as if he'd misjudged Tryffin all this time; something that must equal some heinous crime in the man's book. "How…?"

"I told you my parents died when their boat sank but I didn't tell you it sank while they were on an assignment in the South China Sea. They were researching the lost continent of Atlantis."

Ceilen looked at him impatiently. Tryffin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You didn't already know that, did you?"

Ceilen didn't answer him but continued to frown. "You were too young. How could you have known?"

Tryffin shrugged. It really shouldn't surprise him that Ceilen knew about his parents. The man was…weird! "I liked to dabble in what my parents were doing. They took me with them sometimes when they were on site but that time…" Tryffin cleared this throat abruptly; he didn't want to go into all that, yet by telling Ceilen about his past, he knew he no longer had control over that option. But he could certainly try. "Anyway, that was 8 years ago, what's it got to do with you guys now?"

Ceilen looked like he was thinking really hard.

"And stop feeding me crap! I'm beginning to feel like a mushroom here!" Tryffin scowled at his bodyguard.

Ceilen glared back at him. "It's a long story."

"And how did I know you were gonna say that?"

Ceilen actually looked torn; it was priceless. "Let's make a deal," Ceilen finally said. When Tryffin was about to protest, Ceilen held up a hand. "You learn the meditation technique and I'll tell you everything."

"Everything?" Tryffin narrowed his eyes at Ceilen suspiciously.

Ceilen looked like he was going to smile but held it back just in time. Damn!

"Everything relevant to you, of course."

Tryffin knew it. Getting information out of Ceilen was never that easy. Tryffin frowned. "You promise?"

"Yes."

"Okay…but what about the…you know…yesterday, when we…" Tryffin didn't know how to say it. Did Ceilen know about the man with blue hair? He was sure that they'd both experienced the same thing. It was so…freaky but in a good kind of way.

Ceilen's face lost all expression and he stared at Tryffin blankly. Now THAT was freaky in a BAD kind of way.

"I thought we agreed to talk about it later."

"Yeah but---Who's the man with blue hair?"

Ceilen frowned in irritation at Tryffin. "If you mean the one in the photograph, that's me about ten years ago."

"No, not him. You know…before! The one that kept showing up in my dreams." Man, even HE had to admit that sounded SOOO lame.

"And I would know what you dream because…?"

Tryffin could feel his face heating up. He looked down at his hands; he didn't think he could look Ceilen in the eye while he said this. "I had a couple of dreams with um…a man…he looked just like you but he had a strange blue hair and then yesterday when I had my panic attack…you…I…" Tryffin swallowed then took a peek at Ceilen's face. "You were him…but who is he?"

Ceilen had that blank look again and it was irritating the hell out of Tryffin. His bodyguard's moods were more volatile than a woman's.

"You felt it too, don't deny it!" Tryffin was angry now; why was Ceilen bent on treating him like an imbecile?

"I don't know any man with blue hair. I don't know what you're talking about." Ceilen looked irritated again, which to Tryffin was better than the blank look. Not much, but better.

"But you looked like you were there…in that place with me! You have to know!"

"No, I don't know! I didn't see anyone with blue hair."

Of course! Tryffin smacked himself on the forehead, earning an even stranger look from his bodyguard. Ceilen was the man with the blue hair so he wouldn't have seen himself. Idiot!

"Who did you see then?"

Ceilen looked uncomfortable. "You."

"What color hair did I have?" Curiosity was a bitch, wasn't it? Idiocy was even worse. Of all the questions he could have asked…

The corners of Ceilen's mouth quirked slightly. Maybe it was the right thing to ask after all…

"The same." Ceilen's eye traveled to his hair and Tryffin could have sworn that the hard look disappeared from Ceilen's face.

"Yours was blue."

Ceilen's lips quirked into a lopsided smile. "I gathered." Tryffin colored again. It really sucked when a man was made to blush so often.

"But what wa---"

"I don't know but I wouldn't worry about that now," Ceilen interrupted suddenly. "We don't have a lot of time left before we have to leave. You need to master this technique." Ceilen held out his hands, palms up. "Give me your hands."

Tryffin sighed and did what he was told. "You know, this could be so much more romantic if you'd just lighten up."

Ceilen ignored him and tightened his hold on Tryffin's hands. "Close your eyes."

Tryffin closed his eyes.

"Focus on your hands, just like we did before."

Tryffin shut out all thoughts and focused on the feel of Ceilen's fingers in his hands. They were strong, rough in some place yet soft in others. Those fingers tightened and relaxed randomly, forcing Tryffin to stay focused on them and not allowing his mind to wander on to other things.

"You're not focusing," Ceilen's melodic voice reprimanded him sternly.

"Am too," Tryffin mumbled and wondered how the hell could Ceilen tell that he kept wandering off.

"Deep breaths…now focus on the feel of my hands, nothing else."

Tryffin was good. Really. They worked on Ceilen's hands and then when his bodyguard felt that he could sufficiently focus without Ceilen reminding him, the older man's hands were removed.

"Now focus on how your hands feel."

Ceilen walked him through each part of his body…making him consciously think about what every inch of his body was feeling. This part wasn't hard. The hard part came when Ceilen added the element of water. Tryffin wasn't sure how the man did it but he could swear he smelled the ocean and felt the wind blowing in his hair.

"Eyes closed, mind focused!" Ceilen reminded him sharply.

Tryffin's mind automatically went to catalogue the feelings in his limbs. Damn, his legs were getting numb. And his back, shit, his lower back was aching too. More focusing made him realized that he had to use the restroom. Oh, boy.

"Er…Ceilen?"

At the sound of his voice, Tryffin felt the wind stopped and the smell of the ocean disappeared. He wasn't sure how Ceilen was doing it and he wasn't going to dwell on it…he really needed to go. Bad. How long had they been practicing anyway?

Ceilen sighed in front of him and Tryffin could feel the warm breath brush against his face. He hadn't known they were that close.

"What?"

Tryffin opened his eyes and blinked at the bright blur that greeted him. What the…? He blinked again several times. Everything was so fuzzy; he didn't think he'd had his eyes closed that long.

"How long…?"

Ceilen looked at his watch and said, "Forty five minutes."

Tryffin's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Ceilen rewarded him with a small smile. "Really. You did quite well this time."

Tryffin beamed at him. Wow…that was a compliment. His insides melted again.

"Now why did you stop?" Ceilen asked.

"Oh." Tryffin really felt stupid now. He could vaguely hear his mom telling him to use the restroom before leaving the house…how lame was that?

"Er…sorry but I had to…um, go." Tryffin cleared his throat and looked anywhere except Ceilen.

His bodyguard didn't say anything for a few seconds and then, "Fine. We should rest for a while anyway before the next stage."

Tryffin was in the process of getting up; he froze. "Next stage?"

Ceilen got up and stretched. Man, he looked really good, slim yet lean and powerful at the same time. Tryffin stared unabashed.

Ceilen turned and saw his leer. , "You can stop drooling now," his bodyguard told him with a shake of his head. "Go." He pointed to the door. Tryffin was glad that Ceilen wasn't angry with him for once but actually looked amused. Most of the time, Ceilen acted like Tryffin was out to molest him or something.

Tryffin grinned and left before Ceilen decided that he should be mad after all.

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"NO!"

"Yes."

"NO!"

Ceilen sighed and crossed his arms over his chest (and what a fine chest it was, too), but Tryffin was angry at the moment and he wasn't going to think nice thoughts about the man. The freaking idiot wanted him to do WHAT?

"I won't let anything happen to you." There it was again, that sentence that was supposed to make everything alright.

"You don't know that you can…" It apparently worked because Tryffin felt the anger leave him though dread remained intact. The man couldn't promise him that. No one could…

Ceilen studied him closely for a few moments and then said, "But I do know. Trust me."

Tryffin did trust him, more than anyone he'd known since the deaths of his parents. It was strange since they had just met but Tryffin felt like he'd known Ceilen all his life…he couldn't explain it. Still…

"I can't. You don't know what you're asking of me." Tryffin shook his head and began to back away slowly.

Ceilen didn't move towards him but stood watching him almost sadly. Then he held up his hands in front of him; a gesture that was quickly becoming familiar to Tryffin.

"Give me your hands." Ceilen's voice was soft and reassuring.

Tryffin stubbornly shook his head, not moving. Ceilen didn't move but he repeated the request again gently.

Hesitantly Tryffin took small steps up to his bodyguard then placed his hands in Ceilen's who clasped them securely.

"Ficus on my hands."

Tryffin knew this. He had done it before but never with his eyes open or on deck…

"Focus, Tryffin."

Tryffin did what he was told and focused on the hands, his eyes staring blindly ahead of him. He was barely aware that Ceilen was taking him into the hallway and then up the steps leading up on deck.

He froze. He couldn't do this.

Ceilen squeezed his hands gently, bringing him back from his fears. He turned and found his bodyguard watching him with a small encouraging smile. Ceilen looked so different when he smiled…he looked that much more like the man with the blue hair. Tryffin's heart gave a quick lurch. If he could just focus on that smile…

But Tryffin found that he couldn't, not without wanting more than just the smile. Before he knew what he was doing, he was leaning forward, his eyes focusing intently on those curving lips. He barely checked himself in time and came to a shocked stop, his lips just inches from Ceilen's. He took a sharp breath and moved back hastily. The last thing he needed now was a pissed off Ceilen when they were so close to being topside. Being hurled into the ocean was definitely NOT on his agenda.

But Ceilen, who was bent on surprising Tryffin, didn't look pissed off. In fact, if Tryffin hadn't known better, he would have said that Ceilen looked a little disappointed when Tryffin pulled back.

Tryffin blinked at him.

Ceilen was looking at him as if he was trying to figure out something…as if Tryffin was one gigantic puzzle that his bodyguard desperately wanted to solve.

"Sorry," Tryffin offered; not because he was, but because he felt he needed to say something to reduce the tension in the air.

Ceilen still hadn't said a word, nor had he moved. Tryffin looked at him a little nervously…what could Ceilen be thinking?

Suddenly, a mischievous light glinted in Ceilen's eye and his bodyguard pressed him up against the wall on one side of the staircase.

"Maybe we can work on something else for you to concentrate on." And without further ado, Ceilen kissed him.

'What the fuck?' was definitely an understatement but that was the closest thing to anything coherent Tryffin could come up with. His mouth opened automatically, as his brain had shut down the second Ceilen's lips touched his and the rest of his body functioned on autopilot.

Ceilen's hand reached up to cup the side of Tryffin's face gently, making the redhead sigh contentedly and press his body closer to the older man. When Ceilen pulled away, Tryffin leaned forward, unwilling to let him get away. He hooked his arm around Ceilen's neck and pulled the man back in for more as his body eagerly rubbed itself against Ceilen's.

Tryffin thought he heard a moan as Ceilen gave up and allowed the redhead to take over the kiss. Tryffin's heart skipped a beat…Ceilen was actually letting him do this. His bodyguard's hands cupped his ass and pressed their bodies even closer, their hardening arousals grinding together oh, so deliciously.

Tryffin whimpered when Ceilen's lips left his to travel across his jaw-line down to his neck. Soft sighs escaped his lips when Ceilen began sucking gently on the side of his neck, all the while rocking his hip into Tryffin's.

Then as suddenly as he had begun, Ceilen stopped, pulling away before Tryffin could find enough sense to prevent it. Tryffin whined again in protest and when he reached out to find Ceilen, his bodyguard captured his hands and held them fast.

The look on Ceilen's face was enough to make him several notches harder that he already was. It was nothing short of absolute need and longing burning bright in that one molten brown eye…yet the man held himself away, his jaw clenching and unclenching sporadically.

Tryffin's stomach tightened painfully. Was Ceilen going to turn defensive again and launch into more verbal abuse? Tryffin braced himself knowing that no amount of preparation could ever take the pain away.

"I'm sorry; that went further that I'd planned." Ceilen was breathless, his voice soft and husky.

Tryffin blinked again. Ceilen had this wild look about him that made Tryffin groan out loud. Damn, he was right about Ceilen today…if Tryffin didn't die from drowning it would certainly be of shock.

"I don't mind." Tryffin said quickly.

Ceilen laughed and shook his head. "I'm sure you don't." Then he sobered up suddenly and frowned, looking away.

"You're not mad, are you?" Tryffin asked.

Ceilen didn't look at him but shook his head. "Not with you, no."

Meaning he was angry with himself. Tryffin was glad that he was able to make Ceilen lose control, yet he was nervous too. He didn't know where he stood now. This Ceilen was very different from the man he'd come to know this past week. Tryffin stood there mutely, not knowing what to do or what to say. His body ached with need but he didn't know how far to push, he had never been sure of anything when it came to Ceilen.

"Why is it so bad to…take what's offered?"

Ceilen released Tryffin's hands and closed his eye briefly before shaking his head. "I can't."

"Why?" Tryffin reached up and tentatively ran a thumb across Ceilen's bottom lip.

Ceilen closed his eye again and turned away without answering.

"Is it because of her? Kouran? Are you in love with her?" That hurt, but somehow he managed to get it out.

Ceilen stiffened next to him and Tryffin regretted ever bringing up the woman's name. Ceilen was beginning to act human and actually opening up…until Tryffin'd had to go and mention HER.

"Leave her out of this." Ceilen's voice was hard but he still hadn't turned to face Tryffin.

"Oh, she's out. As far as I'm concerned, this has nothing to do with her." Tryffin ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach and trudged on. "What you and I do doesn't have to affect anything between you and her."

Ceilen turned and glared at him. "So you're suggesting I cheat on her. With you."

Tryffin swallowed hard. Somehow that didn't sound quite right when Ceilen said it. "No one would have to know." Tryffin's voice was small and unsure. He had never cared about things like cheating and commitment, it wasn't something he and Kouji practiced but now with Ceilen…it all sounded so wrong.

Ceilen narrowed his good eye and the effect combined with the black eye patch made him look positively feral. He pressed his palms against the wooden panel on either side of Tryffin's head and leaned in closed, his eye boring heatedly into Tryffin's.

When he spoke, his voice was soft but hard as nail. "You may be okay with a casual fuck, but I'm not." Something glinted in the narrowed eye but Tryffin couldn't identify what it was. "Nothing can happen between us because if it did…"

Ceilen didn't finish, he was so close that all Tryffin had to do was lean forward and their lips met. Would it be so bad to be with one man…to never experience another partner? Could he be satisfied with just Ceilen? His mouth opened and his tongue hesitantly traced the outline of Ceilen's lips.

Could he…?

Ceilen pulled away from the kiss but didn't move away. Instead, he brought one hand to grip Tryffin's chin firmly. "You're not listening. NOTHING can happen between us."

"Why not? It's not like you're immune!" He proved his point by cupping his hand over the hard bulge between Ceilen's legs. "You want me and I want you. So. Fuck. Me." His hand tightened just a bit more as he said the last two words.

Ceilen valiantly fought for control over his body and Tryffin admired the man's willpower almost as much as his annoyance for it. Why was it always about control with Ceilen?

Then Ceilen snorted – a sound that Tryffin was beginning to associate with laughter – and shook his head. "What is it with you? You don't listen. You don't think. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into yet you'll hop right into it and all just to get what YOU want." It was Ceilen's turn to trace Tryffin's lip with his thumb. "Do you even know WHO I am? WHO everyone involved in the Atlantis Project THINKS I am? Or why they all want me so badly? Do you?"

Tryffin blinked and shook his head, confused.

This time Ceilen threw his head back and laughed – really laughed. He almost sounded happy and carefree that Tryffin stared in awe…

When Ceilen looked at Tryffin again, he was still smiling but the mirth left his face completely. "So you don't know as much about the project as you think you do. Maybe if you did, you wouldn't be so fast to jump into my bed."

"Wh---what do you mean?" Even as he asked the question, Tryffin was afraid he might already know the answer. The famed continent of Atlantis was supposed to hold a gate to another dimension and…and could only be opened by one of the people from that dimension. And if they wanted Ceilen…

Ceilen read the realization and fear in Tryffin eyes and his humorless smile got bigger. "So you do know. I'm impressed." Then his smile was gone completely as he stared hard at Tryffin. "Do you still want me to fuck you?"

Tryffin drew in a shaky breath. Did he? Did it matter? What's on Atlantis was hypothetical anyway. For all he knew; Ceilen was just another man…just like him…

"What about Kouran? I thought you don't do casual sex."

"Kouran is dead."

Tryffin gasped and stared hard at his bodyguard. What? Dead…? Tryffin blinked mutely in shock. The stain! That wasn't chocolate sauce? Was it…was it…?

"How…?"

Ceilen's eye narrowed dangerously. "Do you think I had something to do with it?"

Tryffin shook his head. "I don't know. I mean---you were just saying earlier about cheating…I didn't think…"

Ceilen continued to look at him and Tryffin thought he saw weariness in the brown eye. "My parents are dead. My lover is dead. Everyone who came close to me died… We may all die in a few days…all because of ME." Ceilen's eye searched his closely as his lips quirked sardonically. "So…do you still want me?"

It was meant to sound light – a joke but Tryffin could feel the need hidden deep in Ceilen's question. The need to be loved… The need to be who he was and not hide… The need to be accepted…

"Yes." Tryffin whispered and wound his arm around Ceilen's neck, pulling him back in. "More than anything." He pressed his lips to Ceilen's startled ones and tenderly kissed the shock away. His heart ached for Ceilen; his bodyguard obviously didn't expect anyone to want him after all he'd revealed. Tryffin didn't know why but he wanted Ceilen more now than he'd ever wanted anyone before.

Ceilen kissed him back harshly, almost desperately before wrenching his lips away once again. His bodyguard stared at him wonderingly, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then he smiled and shook his head at Tryffin. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Well…" Tryffin grinned back and left the sentence open as he rubbed himself suggestively against his bodyguard.

Ceilen laughed and Tryffin thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Ceilen looked different, almost like he was another person. Tryffin felt happiness fill his heart and he was sure it was running over into the other organs in his body. He felt light and tingly…what the hell was this feeling?

But Ceilen shook his head, his expression strangely wistful. "If you still feel the same after all this is over…we'll see."

"But you said we could all die!"

Ceilen looked thoughtful for a second then he gave Tryffin another quirky smile. "Then we're going to have to make sure we stay alive, don't we? And that starts with you conquering your fears."

Ceilen took a hold of his wrist again then turned back to the steps. Tryffin hesitated briefly, his heart started to pound again but this time it wasn't anything pleasurable. Ceilen rubbed his thumb across Tryffin's palm and tugged. Tryffin followed, his foot laden with each step; he really didn't want to go but couldn't resist Ceilen's pull.

"Close your eyes." Ceilen told him gently. Tryffin did what he was told quickly.

"Feel your legs as they move. Concentrate on the muscles carrying you." Ceilen's voice was hypnotic and Tryffin fell back into the routine they'd established earlier. He began cataloguing the feeling in his limbs again. Step by step he concentrated on moving his legs, on the feel of the wooden panel by his side, on the sound of Ceilen's footsteps and occasional instructions.

When Ceilen told him to open his eyes, Tryffin was sitting cross-legged on deck with Ceilen sitting across from him. Tryffin's eyes widened in panic but Ceilen's grip on his hands tightened and he was forced to look into his bodyguard's eye…despite the fact that he was surrounded by rushing water…

"Focus on the here and now." Ceilen repeated. "If you can't concentrate and block out the possibilities, we can't go on."

Tryffin began to close his eyes again but Ceilen said sharply, "No!"

Tryffin looked fearfully at the other man but saw only approval. "Next step is to keep your eyes open. Now focus on what's happening now."

Tryffin did his best, it was damn hard but with Ceilen's watchful eye, he managed. It was a big help that his heart and mind were filled with thoughts and images of what had transpired below deck. What was going to happen between him and Ceilen now? How was he supposed to act? Was Ceilen still serious about not having casual sex? Was Tryffin okay with that? How would all this affect the way his lived? What about Kouji? What the hell was he going to do?

There were more questions than answers but when his mind wandered from what his muscles were feeling, those thoughts kept him in a safe place… By the time Ceilen pronounced that it was okay to stop for the day, Tryffin was so drained he could hardly walk without support.

When they got back to Ceilen's cabin, all Tryffin wanted to do was crash…but he couldn't; Aya and Ken were there, leaning against one wall glaring at his bodyguard.

"Hey." He greeted them weakly. From their expressions, he guessed that now they knew about Ceilen. Tryffin turned to look at the man beside him sharply. How was that little fact going to affect the precarious relationship between the men now?

Ceilen ignored them and helped Tryffin to the bed.

"What happened?" Ken asked by way of greeting.

"Practicing on deck." Tryffin sighed in relief as he sank onto the bed. He snuggled into the pillow and turned to look at the three men facing each other.

Aya moved away from the wall and handed the CD back to Ceilen silently, his eyes never leaving the man face. "How accurate is the information on the CD?"

Ceilen shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."

"You mean you don't know if you're…" Ken glanced quickly at Tryffin on the bed before turning back to Ceilen. "You know."

"From another dimension?" Tryffin supplied from the bed. Damn these people don't think much of him, did they?

Both Ken and Aya turned to him sharply. "He told you?"

"No, my parents did."

They blinked at him.

"Man, what's up with you people? Do I have 'Stupid' stamped on my forehead or something?" He glared at them. "Like I told HIM…" He motioned to Ceilen standing not far away. "I know a whole lot more than he – and now apparently YOU – think!"

Aya turned to Ceilen thoughtfully. "Was he monitored by the Syria Faction?"

Ceilen shrugged. "His involvement seemed to be coincidental."

"Nothing's coincidental. Not with these people."

Tryffin didn't like the way Aya was looking at him. Surely he wasn't suggesting that Tryffin was involved in whatever it was they were involved in? Not on the same level anyway.

"What about Omi?" Ken asked as he came to stand next to Aya. "Did you find him?"

Ceilen nodded and looked at his watch. "He should be on Itu Aba in a couple of hours."

"Itu who?" Both Ken and Tryffin asked at the same time.

"Itu Aba. The island I showed you earlier."

"Is the Taiwanese government in on this? Whose side are they on?" Aya asked.

Ceilen shook his head. "There are no Taiwanese on Itu Aba. About 9 years ago it was infiltrated and taken over by the Faction's agents. They're maintaining the Taiwanese front to avoid conflict. They are using it as base while they search for the Shinzahou."

"The Shinzahou…" Tryffin had a feeling that he should know this. The word meant something…but he couldn't grasp it. It was very familiar, yet for the life of him he couldn't recall where he'd heard it.

"It's what they call the hypothetical gate." Aya supplied absently, his eyes still on Ceilen. "Do YOU know the location?"

"Maybe."

Ceilen and Aya stared at each other intently; neither one blinked.

"Oh man, not the alpha male thing again." Ken whined. "Why don't you just use Rock-Paper-Scissors or something? It'd be faster."

The image of the two stoic men brandishing their rock, paper or scissors was just too much for Tryffin and he burst out laughing until his sides ached. Ken bent over giggling so hard he collapsed on the bed next to Tryffin.

The two alpha male contenders didn't seem to see the humor, however and Tryffin and his cohort – Ken – found themselves staring at the infamous Fujimiya death glare. Ceilen hadn't moved from his spot but his own glare indicated that he was also far from pleased.

"What?" Tryffin asked Aya, who was now next to the bed. "It was HIS comment, go glare at him."

Ken snorted next to him. "Yeah, but I'm sure it's more stimulating for him when it's YOU." Ken got up abruptly and moved to the other side of the room. "Maybe you would like Ceilen and I to leave, Aya? Then you guys can carry on doing whatever it was you were doing when I interrupted you last time."

Tryffin knew his face flamed. What the hell was wrong with Ken? He looked up at Aya, who was staring at Ken through narrowed eyes. He sighed. No help there. He turned to Ceilen and found that his bodyguard was watching him expressionlessly. Oh shit.

"No, it's not like that." He shook his head quickly. That was before he'd met Ceilen. It was an entirely different world…

"Oh puh-leeze, spare me." Ken rolled his eyes. "You admit you seduced him in the bathroom."

"Yes but it's not…quite like that." Oh god, the more he tried to explain the worse it got. He looked to Aya for help but the man was just staring at Ken.

"Yeah." Ken crossed his arms over his chest. "Like I don't know what a condom and a tube of lube is for."

"Ken." Aya's voice was a warning but the brunette just glared at him.

Tryffin shivered as he felt the temperature dropped drastically in Ceilen's direction. Oh shit. They'd come so far…

Shit, shit, shit!

Maybe it wasn't too late to convince Ceilen to throw these guys back into the sea after all…

TBC…

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Thank you!!!!

If you're interested, AFL-WK-10 is actually finished. It's waiting to be betaed and then I can post. I am so proud of myself! Oh, and FY-10 is being written as well!!! Yeh!!

Big hugs to everyone!


	10. Of Hopes and Dreams

**_Author's notes and warnings:_** Okay! For those of you who wanted lemons…I have a small one here. ::huge grin:: BUT…the lemony part will be removed due to the rating. I will give you a link where you can read that part, though. ::grins:: It'll either be in my LJ or the media miner account.

**Special note:** Many of us Tas/Chi/Tas fans want to see the fandom revive, so Keimei has set up a community where we can post thoughts, stories, pictures…you know, random fangirl stuff. ::grins:: Please come and join us, I'm planning to post my stories there as well. It's a community in Livejournal dot com. Crap! Due to the strange phenomenon on this site, I cannot give you the address, which suck something gross. The community is called Wing & Well. The link to my LJ is on my bio page, you can find the lemony section there. I apologize for the incovenience...I'll see if I can put the link to media miner there too...if not, I'll post the entire chapter on my LJ.

Humongous hugs and blessings go to my reviewers, no da!!!!

**_Keimei:_** See? See? I tried to spread the glory of Wing and Well but this site won't let me! I didn't forget, no da! As for Atlantis…I can't hurry. Gomen. Actually the next two chapters (WK-11 and FY-11) will be devoted to the Shirtless Edition so they can flaunt their manliness, ne? Hope that's okay with you?

**_Hana_** **_no_** **_Ceres_**: Thank you! ::pets Ken:: I was mean to him so he's taking it out on Tryffie. Glad you like the Atlantis plot. ::huge grin::

**_Yuki_** **_Bombay_**: Hee hee, I'm taking the Alternate Universe thing a bit literally…Universe of the Four Gods to be precise. Thank you for the review. I'm glad you like the chapter.

**_Bakachan_**: ::hugs Wufei and bakachan:: Thank you, sweetie!

**_Fire_** **_Pendant_**: Wai! Atlantis is coming up, no da! Thank you for your comments!

**_Youknowwho_** (**_Xellas_**): ::laughs:: I like the cuddle…er…plot too! I'm trying to write as fast as I can while my muses are cooperating…you can never know when they decide to take a vacation, ne? Thank you for everything, sweetie!

**_Sakata_**: I'm sorry, it's probably my mistake. I thought I'd read on your journal or something that you were trying to settle in…so I assumed you'd moved. Maybe a vacation? Now on the drawing... They would only make up for you not writing if we get to see them! Are they on your site?

**_Polynesia_**: ::blushes red:: Thank you so much. OMG…I've corrupted another one, no da! ::shame faced:: And thank you for REDEMPTION, too. That is also one of my favorites. Have you tried Xellas or Sakata? They are wonderful at Tas/Chi! You are not bad yourself…can we expect to see more from you?

**_Chichiri's_** **_Life_**-**_mate_**: Arigatou, na no da! ::huggles::

**_Whisper_** **_Reilman_**: Ah…Shirtless Edition is coming up! (WK-11 and FY-11) Two chapters, no da! ::laughs:: I'm sorry about the tea spilling, I'm glad it's not hot. ::grins:: Thank you so much for all your very entertaining reviews. ::hugs:: You know that the Shirtless Edition is dedicated to you, right?

**_Krysana_**: ::hugs moto-chan:: You're so sweet, I love you too, baby! Now…if we could just see more writing from you…

**_Tearlesereph_**: Hee, hee, hee…I was going to let Ken have some in WK-10 but since he's been a bad boy… ::shrugs:: Thank you for your review!

**_JC_**: Thank you! ::big happy smile::

**_Hcbenitez_**: Here's more, no da! Thank you!

**_The_** **_Katgrl_**: Did someone say lemon? Here it is! Thank you so much for the kind words. ::blushes:: I'm very happy that you like the story.

**_Sirrah_**: Hello! "Hot sweet naked men doing it like rabbits." ::giggling madly:: I think most fangirls will second that in a heartbeat! Thank you! This chapter will probably having you cooling for a bit…the boys are definitely 'doing it'! Thank you again.

**_Kiawna_**: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**_Sakusha_**: ::laughs:: Peephole? You hentai! ::joins Sakusha by the hole with popcorn:: And PLEASE! Do write Tasuki-chan covered in strawberry ice cream and have Chiri lick him clean! So looking forward to that, no da!

**_Dragon_****_lover_****_ryushi_**: Thank you! That's a very nice compliment. ::beams:: Happy you liked it.

**_Ambika_**-**_san_**: ::laughs:: Yeah, the more trouble to boys get into, the hotter the make-up sex, ne? And you draw? I'd love to see them! Especially the rockpaper-scissors scene, no da! And I'm definitely looking forward to more Tas/Chi from you!

**_Seph_** **_Lorraine_**: No, no hitting. ::laughs:: Can't have hot and heavy sex when you're covered in cuts and bruises, no da! Thank you!

**_Luce_** **_Scuro_**: Anou…I hope you have come to like Tas/Chi/Tas pairing? They are perfect for each other, no da! And I'm sorry there won't be anymore Tas and Ran pairing…Ken and Chichiri were getting very angry with me… Thank you for your comments.

**_Kitsuna_** **_Ri_**: Please don't worry about reviewing late! ::hugs:: I'm very happy that you took the time to comment at all. ::beams:: Thank you very much.

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**A Fine Line** – FY: Chapter 10 – _Of Hopes and Dreams_

By Moonraven

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_(Day 6 – late night, after Ran and Ken had left the room)_

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Tryffin continued to clutch onto Ceilen's shirt even after Aya and Ken had left. He was afraid but it wasn't entirely because of his phobia…well, actually it wasn't his phobia at all. He was afraid that Ceilen would reject him again. After Ken's comments about Tryffin and Ran, Ceilen had shut himself off completely. All the warmth and tenderness Tryffin had experienced with the man earlier that day had disappeared as if they had never been. Tryffin wasn't sure why that should cause him so much pain but he couldn't bear it any longer.

"You're still tense; you're not focusing." Ceilen's distant voice broke through his dismal thoughts and Tryffin burrowed his face deeper into the crook of Ceilen's neck. Maybe if they stayed like this…

"Tryffin," Ceilen called again and even though his bodyguard hadn't pushed him away, there was no warmth in the tone or in the embrace.

Tryffin felt like crying.

And then he felt like finding Ken and smacking him upside the head. It was the brunette's fault that Ceilen was all icicles again.

"Don't be mad, Ceilen, please," Tryffin mumbled into the warm neck, clutching the man to him almost desperately as he allowed Ceilen's familiar scent to sooth him.

Ceilen tensed even more, then he gripped Tryffin's shoulders and tried to push him away. "You don't have a panic attack."

Yes I do, Tryffin wanted to say but all he could do was hold on tight and shook his head. "I don't want him, I don't."

"It's none of my business, is it?" Ceilen's cold voice cut deep into Tryffin's heart and he let out a choked cry at the pain that was almost physical.

Tryffin shook his head again as he refused to come up for air. "It was a long time ago…before I ever met you. It's not like that. Not anymore." And as he said it, Tryffin knew it was true. He really felt nothing for Aya, something that he hadn't realized until now.

Ceilen was motionless and silent in Tryffin's arms. He no was no longer trying to push Tryffin away but he wasn't holding him either. He seemed to be thinking about something. Tryffin pushed his luck just a bit more. "Please."

Tryffin could just make out a sigh as the body he was clutching relaxed just a tiny bit. "A long time ago…it has only been four days." Ceilen tilted his head back as if he was looking for the heavens to give him strength.

Tryffin snuggled closer. "That IS long for me," he murmured as he nuzzled Ceilen's neck.

He felt Ceilen sigh again then his bodyguard said softly, "Exactly."

Tryffin blinked against the warm skin, not wanting to move but wanting to see Ceilen's face. Why had he sounded so sad?

Reluctantly, he lifted up his head far enough to see Ceilen's face. His bodyguard was looking down at him with an expression that Tryffin had never seen before.

"What do you mean?" Tryffin asked.

Ceilen closed his eye and tried to turn away but Tryffin brought his hand up to gently cup his bodyguard's cheek and turned him back. "Exactly…what?"

Ceilen looked at him silently and Tryffin's chest tightened at the sadness he saw in Ceilen's gaze. Ceilen brought up a hand to cover Tryffin's before removing it and kissing his palm. "In four days, how will you feel?" Ceilen traced the side of Tryffin's face softly with his fingertips, his expression suddenly guarded. "How will you feel when you're safe back home, in your lover's arms?"

Tryffin's breath caught in his throat and suddenly he couldn't breathe. He'd thought about Kouji, about their relationship and their lifestyle. But he hadn't thought that far…he knew that things would change, he just didn't know how much.

Tryffin shook his head again though he hardly knew why. "I will still want you," he told Ceilen softly but he couldn't deny the uncertainly he heard in his own voice. Would he? Could he? Exclusively? That was what Ceilen wanted. He'd said as much earlier that day.

"I would," Tryffin insisted even if deep inside, he really wasn't sure.

Ceilen gave him a small smile. "Maybe you believe that now…" Ceilen trailed off, shaking his head. He tried to push Tryffin away from him again but the younger man refused.

"Okay. I admit I don't know what's gonna happen but…" Tryffin cupped Ceilen's chin and made the other man look him in the eye. "But I KNOW that I have never felt this…" Tryffin tried desperately to find the words to describe what he felt. "This..." He rubbed at his chest, as if that would help the words to appear in his head. Tryffin gave up. "I just KNOW that I've never felt this before. Never. I don't know what this feeling is…but I know that the thought of being without you…hurts."

He looked imploringly into Ceilen's eye, hoping that the other man wouldn't turn him away. "We don't have to do anything. Just…just don't push me away. Please."

Ceilen shut his eye tightly, his lips pressed into a thin line. He remained silent. Tryffin pressed himself closer, burying his face in Ceilen's neck once again, murmuring repeatedly, "Please, please, please…"

A choked cry tore from Ceilen as he crushed Tryffin to him. His hand wove into the thick red hair and he pulled Tryffin's head up as his mouth came crashing down on the stunned redhead.

Tryffin wasn't sure what happened exactly; his mind was blissfully setting off fireworks and the next thing he knew, they were both on the bed and half his clothes were already gone. Yay!

Ceilen was delightfully attacking his chest, lavishing his aching nipples with tiny bites while his hands worked furiously to rid the redhead of his pants. Tryffin gasped when his erection was freed from its confinement and then groaned gratifyingly as Ceilen took a hold of it. He thrust into the hand while his own hands tried to get Ceilen out of his remaining clothes.

And then they were no longer on Ceilen's bed in his bodyguard's cabin but on a larger bed…somewhere else entirely. Tryffin wondered briefly what the hell had happened but that thought was soon driven completely out of his head when he realized that he was naked and the man with the blue hair was between his legs. Whoa! When had that happened?

"Ah…!" Tryffin groaned as wet heat enveloped him. Despite his confusion, his body knew what it wanted. He thrust up instinctively even as his mind fought to stay lucid. He looked down at the soft head that was clutched in his hands, bobbing enthusiastically up and down his length and struggled hard not to give in to the pleasure… Gods but it was hard. HE was hard. He just wanted to come…

No! Where the hell was Ceilen? Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods…he was coming…

Tryffin stifled a groan as he bucked up into the talented mouth and came hard. Still dazed and panting from his euphoria, Tryffin hardly noticed when his lover moved up his body until the soft hair brushed his cheek and warm lips kissed his neck.

"Don't tell me I wore you out, Tasuki-chan." A laughing voice teased him and Tryffin lazily opened his eyes to look up at the warm mahogany one gazing down at him.

Ceilen, Tryffin thought but he couldn't say anything; it was as if he was in someone else's body. Instead, he heard himself say, "Chiri."

The man's name was Chichiri…Tryffin remembered now. He wanted to say so many things but his body wanted something else. Chichiri rubbed his still-hard erection against Tryffin…or Tasuki…and he could feel himself tingling once again with that first touch of arousal. He moaned when Chichiri moved between his legs and rubbed his hot shaft against Tryffin's. Oh gods…

----- flashback ------

Ah…this portion has been removed for your protection. Yeah… anyway, it's the lemony part – a short one which may be found at...Doggone it! I can't put any link! Anyway, please check my bio page for my LJ.

-------- end flashback -------  
  
Tryffin jerked out of his dreams with a startled cry. He sat up and looked around frantically as he tried to pinpoint where he was.  
  
He gave a relieved sigh when he saw that he was in Ceilen's cabin once again…and very much alone. He quickly looked under the covers and found that he was completely naked, the evidence of his pleasure all over the cover and his own body...he wasn't sure what Ceilen would say about that. He looked around the room again but there was no sign of Ceilen. What the hell happened...? 

His mind furiously tried to work out the details…was the whole thing just a dream, then? But he was in Ceilen's room and not with Aya so the part where he came back to his bodyguard was real… He took stock of his lack of clothing again and frown, scratching at his head. Where had his clothes gone – well, technically Ceilen's clothes but that was beside the point! If Ceilen hadn't removed them…who had? He didn't remember doing it.

And where the hell was Ceilen? What the hell was going on? Who the hell were Chichiri and Tasuki? What did they have to do with Tryffin or Ceilen? Was he losing his mind?

What the hell was going on? His mind repeated the same questions over and over again… Yet there was no answer.

Tryffin felt like screaming and would have, if he hadn't known it would bring three men running to his room. At the moment, he only wanted one man to do that but he wasn't sure how to go about making that happen.

So he would just have to go find Ceilen. And this time make the man answer his questions. Tryffin threw back the covers and made another face. He decided that Ceilen could go jump in the lake – or in this case, off his own goddamn boat – if he didn't like the little gifts Tryffin left in his bed. It was the man's fault after all…

Tryffin stood and looked around the room for his clothes. Now he knew he hadn't stripped himself; his clothes weren't strewn all over the floor. Unexpectedly, the door opened. Tryffin gave a startled squawk and grabbed the pillow to cover himself. He was about to growl something about knocking before entering when Ceilen stepped into the room. His bodyguard closed the door quietly and stared at the semi-naked redhead standing by the bed.

Tryffin stared back.

Ceilen wore the same clothes he had on earlier – Tryffin remembered the soft white shirt he had clutched to him as he held the man – and looked as unruffled as he usually looked. Tryffin swallowed.

WAS he losing his mind? Had it all been his imagination?

"What…the hell happened?" Tryffin finally vocalized one of the questions that plagued him.

"You passed out," Ceilen said quietly.

Tryffin snorted. "Yeah, right."

His bodyguard just stared at him.

"I DON'T pass out." Tryffin frowned. "That's…a girl thing."

"Well, you did," Ceilen said as he moved into the room and straight to his fucking computers.

Even if Tryffin hadn't liked what he heard, he grudgingly accepted it. It did explain a thing or two but not…

"When?"

Ceilen looked slightly uncomfortable but he didn't speak. He sat down on the table and started to shift papers about.

"Did we…do anything?" Tryffin asked.

"You passed out," his bodyguard repeated.

"Yes, you keep reminding me of that!" Tryffin growled. "But did we do anything before that?"

Ceilen looked up at him thoughtfully, as if weighing what he should tell Tryffin.

"Please…" Tryffin begged. "I think I'm losing my mind…I keep seeing things." He ran his free hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know what's real and what's not anymore…please, did we…what did we do? When did I pass out?"

Ceilen sighed and stood up. He went over to a cabinet at the foot of the bed and took some clothes out and then handed them over to Tryffin. Tryffin absently took them with his free hand, his gaze still pleading for an answer.

"We had oral sex and then you passed out." Ceilen's account of the incident was so bland that had Tryffin not heard the word sex, he would have thought the man was giving him a weather report.

"YOU went down on me?" So at least THAT part was real…but it was Chichiri who gave him head…wasn't it?

"You were exhausted, I shouldn't have…" Ceilen trailed off with a reproachful look before shaking his head in irritation.

"No…no, I loved it – really. I just wish the rest was real too."

"The rest?"

Tryffin's face heated up fast. "Yeah, well…it was just a dream…I think." His face scrunched up in confusion; would it have been better if it were all a dream?

"Is it the man with the blue hair again?"

"It's YOU with the blue hair," Tryffin said defensively. He couldn't explain why having Ceilen think of him as being sexually promiscuous was bothering him…it shouldn't, because it was all true. Yet…

"He's you," Tryffin repeated. "Down to the eye." Tryffin reached up to caress the dark eye-patch. Ceilen stiffened but didn't pull away. "He didn't cover it though. He didn't mind that I saw it."

Ceilen frowned and Tryffin dropped his hand in resignation.

"What's going on?" Tryffin asked again. "Who are these people I keep seeing?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit!" Tryffin grated out. "You KNOW! You have to. You felt it too…you were there!"

"I don't!" Ceilen was getting angry and he turned away abruptly, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know who they are or why it's happening! Just because I experienced it doesn't mean I know what it is."

"You're lying!" Tryffin turned Ceilen back around roughly. "I'm freaking out over this more than I am over the goddamn water and you're parading around like it's the most normal thing…yet you want me to believe that you're just as confused as I am? That Mr. Control Freak is okay with this?"

Ceilen glared at him darkly. At that moment, Tryffin could care less whether it was because he had yelled at the man or that he'd called him a control freak.

"I am not okay with it but I have more important things to take care of," Ceilen told him coldly. "Things that could save lives, including yours."

Tryffin blinked at him in frustration. What the hell was he made of?

"But…but…" Tryffin tossed the clothes on the bed, running his freed hand through his hair and then pulling on it roughly. "I feel like I'm going crazy," he started off in frustration. "I look around and I'm somewhere else…with someone else…doing things we've never done together. And then it was you again and then…I don't know what's going on. And it's getting worse and worse…" Tryffin trailed off in quiet desperation, his hand fisted tightly as he tried to control his emotions.

Tryffin heard Ceilen sigh in front of him as if his bodyguard was about to do something he hadn't wanted to do.

"You're not going crazy," Ceilen told him quietly. "I…I've seen things too. When I was very young I used to see them very often, before some people showed me how to block them out. I haven't had problems with them until you showed up." Ceilen rubbed his face tiredly. "I'm not…'freaked out' by them because I'm used to them."

"But that's because…you know…you have these strange things going for you. But me? Why me?" Tryffin was vaguely aware that he had brought up the pillow and was hugging it to his chest. His bodyguard seemed to be having a hard time keeping his eye averted.

Ceilen shrugged. "Maybe because I do have these powers, it's affecting your subconscious as well. I don't know. Or maybe you have powers of your own."

Tryffin snorted. "I don't think so. It started when I met you so it must be you." That seemed to make sense to Tryffin though he still didn't know how to make it go away. "Now that I know you're doing it---well it isn't ME!" He interjected when Ceilen made objecting noises. "Like I said…I don't feel so crazy now." He heaved a sigh of relief. "So maybe you can practice blocking out this thing more, okay? I have enough stuff to worry about with you planning to drag me into the water and all."

Ceilen frowned at him but didn't say anything.

Tryffin grinned and turned his back to his bodyguard, dropping the pillow as he bent over the bed to get the clothes. "So, is this thing like your fantasy or something?"

He heard choking noises behind him and he turned to see Ceilen staring at his bare butt before the man turned away sharply and engrossed himself in the designs of his cabinets.

Tryffin grinned evilly then turned back to the bed again, making sure that he bent over just far enough…

"Did you hear me?" He asked as he picked up the t-shirt and then turned around to face Ceilen. "Was that your fantasy?"

Ceilen was staring at him with undisguised lust but the man remained immobile by the door. "We don't know for certain that it's coming from me." His voice was low and barely controlled.

Tryffin held on to the shirt but didn't put it on; instead, he walked slowly toward Ceilen. "You know, you never did get me clothes."

"You can use mine," Ceilen said. "Now would be good," he added hoarsely when Tryffin made no move to get dressed.

Tryffin smiled as he came to a stop in front of his bodyguard. "And then take them off again? I don't think so. As I recalled…we didn't get to finish what we started," he said in a low voice as he pressed his body up against Ceilen's. "I want 'the rest' to be real now."

"We can't."

"Why not?" Tryffin asked. "I know you want to." He emphasized this by rocking his hips forward, grinding into the hardening flesh in front of him.

Ceilen's mouth twitched slightly at the corner. "Mmm…yes but I can't have you passing out again. How will I explain it to our guests?"

Tryffin scowled at Ceilen but he didn't give up. "It's your fault that happened, so I'd make it up to me if I were you."

"Really," Ceilen said softly as his arms went around Tryffin's willing body and his hands clasped firmly on the taut round cheeks. "Maybe another time," Ceilen said with a merry twinkle in his eye and before Tryffin knew what to expect, his bodyguard had smacked him smartly on the ass.

"Hey--!" Tryffin's protest was cut off when Ceilen leaned in and kissed him hard.

Then his bodyguard pulled away suddenly and pushed Tryffin towards the bed. "Get dressed now."

Tryffin blinked confusedly at Ceilen for a long moment and his bodyguard pointed to the bed again. "Get dressed," he repeated.

Before Tryffin could say anything else, someone knocked sharply on the door. Ceilen gave him an '_I told you so_' look before turning answer it. Tryffin squawked and dropped the shirt, opting instead for the sweats and pulling them on hastily.

When Tryffin was semi-decent, Ceilen smirked at him and then pulled open the door. Aya and Ken were standing anxiously on the other side.

"What are you doing?" Ken asked impatiently.

Ceilen didn't answer but stood to the side to allow the two men to pile into the room. Ken looked at Tryffin's bare chest and raised his brows and then he turned to Ceilen and narrowed his eyes. But then he shook his head vigorously and said, "Nah."

"What's going on?" Tryffin asked as he pulled on the t-shirt.

"We're meeting some friends," Ken said with a knowing smile.

"More cats?"

Ken grinned. "It's a surprise." He turned to Ceilen and tapped on his watch. "C'mon Peregrine, aren't we there yet?"

Tryffin turned to Ceilen and noticed a small frown on the man's face as he looked at Ken. "What surprise?" Tryffin looked from his bodyguard to the brunet, then back to Ceilen again. He wasn't sure he liked that guarded look on Ceilen's face. Whatever the surprise was, the man sure didn't like it.

"It's a surprise! If we tell you, it won't be one," Ken said with a huge grin. Tryffin wondered at the volatile brunet's sudden, happy mood.

"Okay, what are you high on?" Tryffin asked cautiously and glanced at Aya but the tall redhead's expression gave nothing away. Tryffin shook his head and turned to Ceilen.

"Are we picking their friends up the same way we did THEM?" He cocked his head towards the Kritiker agents.

For a second there, Ceilen looked as if he didn't quite understand what Tryffin had said and then he blinked and said, "Sort of."

Tryffin frowned. "What's that mean, 'sort of'?"

"You'll see," Ken said with a smirk.

"Ken," Aya reprimanded gently and Ken subsided sheepishly.

Tryffin stared at them and then he burst out laughing. "I know! You guys made up! It's about time!" He beamed at them and then turned to Ceilen. His bodyguard just stared at him. Tryffin rolled his eyes and turned back to the pair that had just joined them. Aya looked about as thrilled as Ceilen had, while Ken just turned a few different shades of red.

"What? You did, right? You're together again?" Tryffin asked, looking from Ken to Aya.

"What do you mean, 'together'?" Ceilen asked with a frown.

"Together as in, you know, boyfriends." He rolled his eyes at his bodyguard again. "They had some problems a few days ago…" Tryffin paused, not sure if he should mention his part in it. "…but I guess everything is okay now."

The two men by the door remained silent, although Ken was fidgeting an awful lot.

Tryffin stared at them for a moment, before a thought occurred to him. Duh!

"You're not boyfriends, are you? Never were."

"No," Aya told him after a short pause. "It was our cover."

Tryffin smacked a hand on his forehead. "No wonder you guys were so weird. But…" He remembered the looks Aya gave Ken when he thought the brunette wasn't looking; those couldn't have been part of the act. They had been too real. He looked at them again and shook his head. "But you guys are together now."

Ken's face got redder, if that was possible, and Aya's face actually twitched.

"That's hardy relevant," Aya said coolly before turning to Ceilen. "How long?"

"In about ten minutes." Ceilen said as he walked to the computer. He checked various screens then looked up at Aya. "Make that five. The current is faster than I thought. Get ready, gentlemen."

The men from Weiss nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Tryffin looked confusedly from his bodyguard to the two men. "What are we doing?"

"We're going fishing," Ceilen answered quietly. "Stay here."

"But---"

"Stay here," Ceilen repeated, his face grim. "We won't take long."

As Aya and Ken filed out of the room and Ceilen started to follow them, Tryffin caught his wrist and turned him around. "What's the matter? Why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset," Ceilen answered, tugging at his wrist for Tryffin to let go.

"Yes, you are. This 'surprise' Ken mentioned…you don't like it."

Ceilen managed to free himself with an annoyed frown. "I think we've established that I don't like surprises. Especially ones that are not a part of my plans." Ceilen turned and walked out the door.

Tryffin felt lost as he was left alone in the cabin. He should be used to it by now but it was hard to accept that one was useless. That was pretty much how he felt since this whole thing had started. Lost, useless and confused as hell.

He went over to the round window – porthole – if he remembered what Ceilen had said correctly, and tried to look out to see if he could spot anyone. He couldn't; it was pitch black. He turned to Ceilen's clock on the table and saw that it was two in the morning. Damn, these people sure didn't sleep!

Some time passed and Tryffin heard movements up above him. By the sound of it, there were quite a few people up there. No wonder his bodyguard was bent out of shape; after all, the man was the textbook definition of 'anti-social'.

A short time later, the footsteps and muffled voices grew much closer. He wasn't sure what was about to happen and he certainly didn't want to be caught snuggling in bed so he got up and moved towards the door.

Before he got there, it was suddenly thrown open and Tryffin found himself engulfed in a wet and crushing hug.

"Tryffin!"

The redhead was about to clock the guy who grabbed him, but then he recognized the voice…

"Kouji." Tryffin blinked blankly. How…?

Kouji pulled away and held Tryffin at arm's length, studying him critically. "I was so worried. How the hell are you?"

Tryffin stared opened-mouthed at his soaking wet lover, stunned. How…?

Kouji laughed and lifted Tryffin's jaw shut. "Are you still sane after a few days at high sea?"

Tryffin blinked again then nodded. "What are you…doing here?" He asked, still blinking numbly. He vaguely noted that people came into the room behind Kouji but he couldn't make his brain work long enough to recognize any of them.

"Surprise!" Someone cheered – sounded like Ken. It was enough to stimulate Tryffin out of his stupor and he turned to face the rest of the room. Aya and Ken stood next to a stony Ceilen who was next to a very wet young man with pink hair, who in turn, was next to another wet person, this one tall and wearing sunglasses. Tryffin blinked and then gasped.

"You! You!" Was all that came out as he pointed to the man whom he recognized as the one from Rabid the other night, the one that gave him the coat and tossed him over his shoulder. He hadn't been wet then, but Tryffin would have recognized him and his glasses anywhere.

"Yo," the tall man greeted with a grin and then he began shaking water out of his hair. "Hey, where's the towel?"

With an irritated glare, Ceilen went to the cabinet and took out an armful of towels then tossed them at the three newcomers. "I'd asked you to strip on deck but no!" He grumbled as he stared pointedly at his soaking floor.

"It's freezing up there!" The tall man - who Tryffin couldn't recall the name - protested.

Ceilen glared.

"I'm terribly sorry, Peregrine-san," the boy with pink hair said politely. "Thank you for picking us up."

Tryffin turned to the study the speaker curiously. He looked very young but if he was with these guys, he couldn't have been THAT young. Tryffin thought he'd seen that face somewhere before but he couldn't place him. Something tugged very gently at the edge of his memory, but try as he might, he couldn't come up with anything tangible.

"Ceilen," His bodyguard corrected immediately.

The young man smiled and held out his hand, shivering slightly. "Shinji."

Ceilen hesitated then he reached out and shook Shinji's hand.

"Oh, hell…" The tall man stuck out his hand as well. "Youji, at your service," he said with a lazy grin.

Ceilen's frowned deepened as if touching Youji would make him go over a quota he'd set. Nevertheless, he shook the man's hand and then pointed to Tryffin. "I'm sure you know who he is."

They both nodded and smiled at him.

Tryffin smiled back uncertainly and gave them a small wave.

Ceilen frowned at the men facing him then sighed heavily. "Oh, why not. It's not like this party hadn't been crashed already. The head – restroom is to the right and a spare cabin where these men--" here he pointed to Aya and Ken. "—are staying is to the left. Please try not to waterlog my floor."

The men mumbled their thanks and filed out of the room. Kouji turned to give Tryffin a quick grin before he too disappeared out the door. Tryffin stared after them silently, still in a haze, not knowing how they had all hooked up together. He turned to Ceilen and his heart sank.

Ceilen was watching him silently, his expression completely blank. The mask had gone up again and Tryffin knew that with the arrival of Kouji, he would never see the real Ceilen again...no more quirky smiles, no more carefree laughs, no more gentle touches…

He didn't know why that thought gave him such an acute feeling of despair that it almost felt like a physical blow.

Why was he feeling this way? Shouldn't he be happy that his lover came? Didn't he call Kouji only a couple of days ago to come and get him? Why was he now wishing that Kouji hadn't come? Why was he wishing that he could spend more time alone with Ceilen? The rest of his life, if possible?

What was this that he was feeling?

Unbidden, the image of the blue haired man appeared in his mind. _"I love you,"_ the man told him again, his beautiful smile igniting something warm and tingly in Tryffin's chest.

Tryffin gasped and took a step back as he stared at Ceilen.

Oh god…

He was in love with Ceilen!

TBC…

* * *

Hee hee hee…yeah, it's supposed to mirror the ending of WK-10. What do you think?

Anou…I'm looking to give my beta a little vacation. Would any of you know anyone who would be interested in betaing a few chapters of my stuff? Usually, I only need grammar check so it wouldn't be a horrendously big job or anything. Oh, but knowing my creative use of grammar, it may be. ::huge sweatdrops::

Huggles!


	11. Shirtless Edition: part two

**Author's notes and warnings:** Hello!!! Holy cow! After a total of 21 chapters (both fandoms), we are finally on that deserted island I had originally wanted to put the boys on. Talk about a story running away from you… _::sighs::_ This is not even the original bunny that started it all…

**Special note for those of you who did not read the WK version:** The boys are finally on the island and Tryffin and Ceilen fell over board, and then disappeared. The WK boys along with Shinji and Kouji are now roaming the island looking around. The chapter actually had a lot of Ceilen and Tryffin…you might like it.

Lots of hugs and bright blessings go to all my reviewers who were kind enough to let me know what they think of the story. Thank you, everyone!

**Vapid Breath** - _::blushes::_ Arigatou! I love you too! Thank you very much for following my work! I'm very happy you like the story.

**Kiawna** - _::grins::_ Tryffin will now be a one man…man…er…well, you know what I mean, ne? Thank you!!

**LuceScuro** - ::_LOL_:: I love your little story! I hope to live up to it, no da! Thank you. ::_big_ _hug_::

**Nauta** **Iupiter** - ::_hugs_ _you_:: Thank you! Anou…are you alright? Busy? I haven't heard from you in a while… Anyway, as for the Shinzahou and the boys, I'm afraid it's more complicated that just a reincarnation. I hope this plot works. ::_cringes_:: Thank you!

**Baka**-**chan** – Thank you, sweetie! ::_still_ _dizzy_ _from_ _being_ _twirled_ _around_ _but_ _has_ _a cheesy grin_ _on her face_:: I'm so glad you like it. I hope you enjoy this one too though it's mostly a scenic tour…

**Sakata** – Mou! I guess I'll have to keep writing Chi/Tas stories so we can lure back your muses, ne? And thank you for inspiring me to begin with. ::_hugs_::

**Whisper** **Reilman** – Hmmm…Koneko War…what's happening there? Are you updating soon? Oh…I probably shouldn't talk, huh? ::_sheepish_ _grin_:: Thank you for being here…there would be no Shirtless Edition without you. ::_hugs_::

**Ambika**-**san** - ::_glomps you until you turn blue_:: Thank you so much for the drawing! I really think it's fabulous. You are seriously talented! Oh, sorry…::_releases Ambika-san_:: Thank you again!

**Polynesia** - ::_LOL_:: I tend to beat the exclamation point to death too! Especially when I'm excited, ne? Thank you! Your Tas/Chi stuff is really cute… I'm not familiar with half of your favorite pairings…but if you have more Tas/Chi, let me know!!!

**Mrs**. **Passionate** – I'm continuing, no da! Arigatou!

**Nephilimtear** – ::_huggles_:: The boat is fairly big…and they won't be on it for long. ::_laughs_:: But in this case…maybe the tighter the fit, the better? ::_ROFL_:: Thank you! Um…you a keeping well?

**Tearlesereph** – hee hee hee. Tasuki sure melts a lot, ne? Thank you!

**Krysana** – Don't worry about being late, moto-chan. And this year will even be worse, ne? I hope you'll be able to get out a few mails at least? Thank you for taking the time to review, sweetie! ::_hugs_::

**Dragon****lover****Ryushi** - ::_dances_ _off_ _with_ _cookies_:: Thank you! I'm so glad you like the chapter!

**Hcbenitez** – Um…no, the other seishi won't show up. The plot is quite a handful; I really can't imagine that I can squeeze more people in. I'll get lost in my own story, no da! Thank you very much for the comments. I hope this finds you well? ::_hugs_::

**Shinigami** – Peregrine…the ferocious falcon…a lone predator who's a very effective hunter. They also mate for life…damn romantic for a bird, ne? I thought it was fitting for what I want Chichiri to be in this incarnation. As for Tryffin and Ceilen, I got the name from the Green Lion Trilogy by Teresa Edgerton. Not only are the names cool, the characters in the book are a bit like Chichiri and Tasuki in this particular life… Weird, huh? I'm sorry you find this story too angsty. If you're looking for something lighter, I just wrote 'Fall', a Chi/Tas story dedicated to all fans of that pair. Also 'The Favor' written for a ML. You can find them on this site. Thank you for reading and commenting!

**Vapid** **Breath** – Anou…::_looks up the page_:: Heh heh heh, I guess I am slow…gomen nasai! Updating, no da!

**Akennea** – Writing, writing, na no da!!!!

**Shadowed** **Eyes** – Anou…you are quite scary, no da. After reading your review, I kept looking out the window…::_shudders_:: And Kouji is quite nice, please don't hurt him. ::_faints_::

**Another special note:** Ambika-san drew a fantastic picture of Ceilen and Ran doing Rock-Paper-Scissor. You MUST see it! ::_hugs_ _her_:: Since I can't give you the link here, please visit my bio page, the link is there. If you have a LJ account, her user name is Ambika-san. She's a wonderful artist, no da!!! ::_whispers_:: I'm trying to get her to do the Shirtless Edition as well…if we all beg, maybe she will?

Betaed by the wonderful Hitari-chan! Thank you!

* * *

**A Fine Line** – FY: Chapter 11 – _Shirtless Edition: part Two_

By Moonraven

* * *

_(Day 7 – late morning…early afternoon)_

Tryffin thought he had died.

And ended up in heaven, which was totally unexpected given the things he'd done in his life. But then again, all the shit he'd been through should have earned him some big-assed brownie points. But whatever the reason, he was still sure he was in heaven…because a very wet and nearly naked Ceilen was hovering right above him, his face anxious and his eye patch gone. It was the first time that Ceilen had gone without it and hadn't freaked or anything.

"Are you alright?" His bodyguard asked. Well, that wasn't right. People in heaven were supposed to be pretty good, let alone 'alright'.

Tryffin blinked at Ceilen and then his eyes drifted past his bodyguard to the darkness behind the man. He looked to the side and found more darkness but it wasn't completely pitched black. He could see faint outline along the wall that looked suspiciously like…rocks. They were underground?

Shit, he wasn't in heaven…he was in hell! He pushed himself up abruptly and noticed that he had been lying on a dirt floor…and he scooted a bit away from his bodyguard – who hadn't done a very good job, mine you, since they'd both ended up here.

"What…?" He looked around frantically. He remembered falling overboard and he panicked…then he remembered red lights…and that was it. Where the hell was this?

"Tryffin, you're safe." Ceilen's calm voice brought his search back to the man's equally calm face. His bodyguard no longer looked worried and Tryffin supposed he should feel good about that…but he didn't.

"Where are we?" His back was now pressed against a solid rocky wall and he noted that the entire area was like a room carved out of a mountain or something. A cave? Hadn't he heard Ceilen mentioned something about a cave?

"In my hideout."

That brought Tryffin's attention back to the man in front of him. Ceilen was still crouched next to the spot where Tryffin had lain; he hadn't moved. He was clad only a pair of dark, close fitting shorts…not spandex exactly but snug enough to be giving Tryffin a hard time…especially in that position where the material just clung to his ass.

Tryffin groaned and dragged his eyes back up to Ceilen's face. The man shook his head slightly, an amused smile playing across his lips. "You have a one track mind, you know that?"

Tryffin glared but didn't say anything. What the hell COULD he say anyway? His bodyguard stood up, giving Tryffin a better view of the man's to-die-for physique. Yeah…one-track mind and that track was taking him straight to Ceilen's groin.

"Ahem." Ceilen cleared his throat and Tryffin had to drag his attention up to Ceilen's face…by the ball and chain, because it really didn't want to move.

Ceilen looked like he didn't know what to do with Tryffin. The redhead smirked. "Yeah?"

His bodyguard rolled his eye. It was weird seeing Ceilen's scar across his left eye, which seemed to be sealed shut. It didn't look bad really but it did look identical the Chichiri's. Tryffin shuddered and stared hard.

Ceilen frowned at Tryffin and then as if he'd suddenly realized why Tryffin was staring, he turned away abruptly. "I trust you're feeling alright?"

"Um…yeah." Tryffin looked around again. Not heaven, not hell but definitely a cave. "So you stay here when you're not in the bat cave?" What was up with Ceilen and caves?

"Yes. Come on." Then he started walking away and Tryffin had to scrambled up to hurry after him.

When Tryffin rose, he noticed a pool of water a few feet away the size of a large Jacuzzi. Strange dim light was coming from it and that had been the source of light that lit the cave.

"Hey," he called to Ceilen. "What's that light in the water?"

"Sunlight." His bodyguard didn't bother slowing down or even turned around. The man just kept on walking.

"How's the sun underwater?"

"It's not but we're not too far from the source. The lagoon is well lit and that's the light you see."

So that was the entrance to the cave. Damn.

"I think I like the bat cave better," Tryffin mumbled as he followed Ceilen. At lease the other cave had electricity. The farther away they were from the pool, the darker it got and now they were almost in complete darkness. Tryffin stumbled and cursed loudly as he slammed into Ceilen. Well, he hoped it was Ceilen…

"Ceilen?" Tryffin squeaked.

Arms came up to wrap around his waist and he was pulled flushed against a mostly naked body. He couldn't see but he knew instinctively that it was Ceilen. He clung back desperately even when he should be angry because the man was laughing.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark too."

"Fuck you." Tryffin pushed away but not too hard. He really didn't want to leave the warm embrace.

"Hm…I think I'd heard that before." Ceilen's voice was still full of amusement yet Tryffin couldn't bring himself to lash back. He was just so happy that the cold, cold man was gone. He liked this Ceilen a whole lot more. "Stay still," his bodyguard told him softly and Tryffin could feel the man's hot breath brushing against his ear. He shivered and it had nothing to do with them being wet.

Ceilen muttered something under his breath and the wall in front of them slid to the side slowly. The groaning of rocks grinding against each other was loud but not as much as he might expect. It was as if the wall itself knew to be quiet.

Tryffin stared at the revealed room in awe.

He was still staring and blinking stupidly when Ceilen pushed him in and muttered something else to close the 'door' behind them.

"Welcome to my humble home," Ceilen said softly next to him and then the man was walking away, farther into the room.

Humble my ass, thought Tryffin. It was…wow…

The room was another cave but this time he could see everything; the place was fully lit with streams of light coming from various points in the high ceiling – that was made of rocks and dirt and tree roots… He could feel light breezes but he saw no windows. The wall was solid rocks and earth, no opening. He looked up at the ceiling again and thought he saw shadows of something fluttering. He could faintly hear birds. Were they underground and the lights…? Sunlight?

"Yes, this time it is direct sunlight," Ceilen said and Tryffin looked back at his bodyguard in surprise. Had he said that out loud?

"What do you do when it rains?" Hey, it was a legitimate question.

Ceilen, who was pulling things out of a large cabinet by one wall stopped and turned to face him. Then his face broke into a brilliant smile. "The room is protected. No rain."

"Protected…how?"

Ceilen was still smiling when he turned back to his work. "Now that's a secret."

And you can keep it too, thought Tryffin. Maybe it was this alien thing Ken had been harping about. Tryffin wondered briefly if he should worry.

"Um…" Tryffin looked around curiously. "Where are the others?" No one else was there with them though the place was large enough to hold all of them and then some. It was at least the size of a soccer field. Large cabinets with doors lined the walls, a large table was in the middle of the room and that was littered with papers, cardboard boxes and various gadgets. A desk was by one of the cabinet and even thought Tryffin couldn't see any source of electricity; a laptop was sitting on top of it. On one side of the wall, Tryffin saw a small indentation and there, snug against the rocky surface was a small bed.

Well, maybe in this aspect Ceilen could call this his 'humble' home, it was almost as bare as the bat cave.

"They're out on the beach or looking around the island, I suppose. I wouldn't worry about them. This place is pretty harmless." Ceilen was still dragging stuff out of the cabinet and by this time, had a pile of scary looking things next to him.

"What are you doing?" Tryffin walked over to him and stared down at the things in the pile.

"Getting supplies."

"What kind of supplies?" Tryffin eyed the stuff suspiciously. He didn't think James Bond had this many supplies.

Instead of answering him, Ceilen said, "This place should be comfortable for you and Kouji to stay until we get back. Somehow I don't think the others will stay behind. I'll show you where the food and water are stored. There's enough here to last you quite a long time."

Tryffin wanted to shove the man in the cabinet then. "I'm not staying."

Ceilen didn't answer him but closed the cabinet with a loud bang. Then he turned a faced the redhead. "So you think you can strap on a scuba gear and come along?"

Tryffin narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Yes." _No…_

Ceilen laughed and then shook his head, his expression softened considerably. "Stay here. You'll be safe."

"I don't want to be safe," Tryffin stepped up to Ceilen and ran a hand down his bare chest. Ceilen closed his eye briefly and when he opened it, it was like looking at molten rocks. "I want to be with you."

Ceilen captured his hand and held it fast. "You can't. There are thingsinvolved that..." He paused and sighed. "Stay. Here."

Tryffin snatched his hand away and glared at his stupid bodyguard. "Make me." This made Ceilen blink at him in surprise. Then he leaned forward, making Tryffin move back automatically. Normally it would have made him squeal with delight but the look in Ceilen's eye actually made him cringe. The man could be one scary son of a bitch.

Tryffin hunched his shoulders and scowled at Ceilen. "You are NOT using that Mr. Spock shit on me again."

Ceilen smiled and almost looked innocent. Almost. Tryffin wasn't lowering his guard. He continued to scowl unpleasantly at his bodyguard while utilizing all of his martial arts training to keep watchful and prepared.

Ceilen seemed to have sensed this and backed off. He looked impressed but Tryffin couldn't be sure, he was still on alert and he wasn't going to give an inch. "Don't underestimate me. I'm going and don't feed me that crap about it not being my business. If what you guys have been talking about is true, they killed my parents too!"

Ceilen looked taken aback for a second as he blinked at Tryffin.

"Yeah, have YOU forgotten that little fact? You're not the only one who wants payback, you know and see if I'll let a little water stop me from beating them to a pulp."

Ceilen stared at him for a long time. Then his lips quirked and his eye glinted mildly with amusement. "A little water?"

Tryffin felt his face heating up but he refused to back down. Ceilen was tricky. He had to be on his toes if he was to get what he wanted. "Yeah, well…focus, right?"

Then Ceilen's eye narrowed calculatedly. "What do you plan to do with your boyfriend? Should he risk his life as well? He won't stay behind if you won't. Will you drag him into this?"

Tryffin sighed. He supposed they would have to come to the subject of Kouji sometime. "No, he shouldn't risk his neck for me; he's done enough. You can use that Vulcan neck tweaking thingie on him, okay?"

"And after that?" Ceilen asked quietly and quite unexpectedly. Tryffin knew what Ceilen was asking; would he go back home with Kouji and pretend that nothing happened between them? Would Tryffin forget that he'd told Ceilen he would still want him?

Would he?

Tryffin stared into the watchful eye and shook his head silently. He didn't know what to say; he didn't have any clear idea of what he would do…he knew what he wanted…the man in front of him. But Ceilen was so different from everything he'd ever known. Ceilen had turned his entire universe upside down and Tryffin hadn't a clue of what was expected of him.

A shadow passed over Ceilen's face and the man turned back to the pile of gear he'd taken out of the cabinet. "Forget it. Not my business."

"NO!" Tryffin moved closer yet he didn't touch the older man. "You're wrong," Tryffin said softly. "I want you in my life, so yeah…it's your business." He took a deep breath and continued uncertainly, "I just don't know what comes next. Kouji and I…it's not what you think."

Ceilen looked up and quirked one fine eyebrow at him. "I think you're living with him."

Smart-ass.

"Yes but we're not…a couple or anything. We're just having fun, no strings attached or anything and…we see other people…all the time…so it's not like I'm going to hurt him and stuff, you know 'cuz we're not…like a cou…ple or anything. This isn't helping, is it? I'm just babbling now." Tryffin hung his head. This sucked. Did people really put this much effort into a relationship?

Shit…did he say relationship? Was that where this was going? Shit!

Before Tryffin could freak out even more, gentle fingers tilted his chin up and then he was staring into the warm brown eye of the man who'd changed everything in Tryffin's world.

"I can't give you what you want," Ceilen began softly, his thumb brushing Tryffin's lower lip tenderly and Tryffin could feel panic rising up from the pit of his stomach.

Seeing his fear, Ceilen continued quickly, "Not now. When all this is over…and you still want…this…" He paused as he stared hard into Tryffin's eyes. "I won't say no."

Tryffin threw his arms around his bodyguard, the momentum pushed Ceilen back against the closed cabinet door with a loud clang. "That's all I ask…that's all I want," he murmured into the older man's neck. "Just a chance to be with you."

Tryffin didn't know why that was so important. He'd never thought he would want this kind of relationship; hadn't it been what he scoffed at for so long? Useless emotions that would just get him hurt.

But meeting Ceilen had changed all that. Meeting Ceilen had made him realized that the part of him that was missing…the part that would make him whole…was love. Love for this man.

Gods, he sounded like a pathetic sap.

"No you don't." Ceilen said softly as he nuzzled Tryffin's neck and then slowly but tantalizingly trailed his lips up to meet those of the startled redhead's. "You sound just right," Ceilen murmured against Tryffin's lips before he proceeded to kiss him thoroughly. And just when things started to heat up, Ceilen pulled away. Damn!

"When all this is over," Ceilen said again. If they were still alive was left unsaid but Tryffin knew what his bodyguard was thinking.

Tryffin nodded, his eyes strayed to the flushed lips of Ceilen. He just had to make sure they both stay alive…no biggie…

Suddenly Ceilen frowned and looked up at the ceiling in irritation. Tryffin looked up too and thought he saw shadows passing by the 'holes' that allowed sunlight in.

"I think we better get to the others before they tear this island apart looking for us." Ceilen sighed and started to turn away.

"I thought you said they'll be okay, that this place is harmless."

Ceilen began hoisting the stuff he pulled out of the cabinet onto his shoulders and Tryffin moved in to help automatically.

"I'm not worried about them. I'm more worried about the local wildlife." Ceilen turned to give Tryffin a smile. "I don't think they'd ever seen this many people before."

"Kinda like you?"

Ceilen blinked at him for a second and then a brilliant smile broke across his beautiful face. "Yes, kind of like me."

* * *

"How old ARE you, anyway?" Kouji asked the young man walking a few paces in front of him. 

Shinji's bare wiry back was just begging for him to touch it but the younger man's attitude since they had joined Tryffin was…formal to say the least. And now that Kouji didn't have Youji to argue with, the interactions with the little minx became even less.

Shinji shrugged without turning around. "Old enough."

"I wonder…" Kouji didn't think the young man was old enough for the type of work he was doing at all. He should still be in school chasing girls…well or guys, in this case.

Shinji stopped and turned to give him a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kouji walked up to stand in front of Shinji. He looked down at the upturned face and reached up to brush away the bangs that threatened to cover those expressive eyes. Despite the fact that Shinji had proven to be quite good at taking care of himself, Kouji couldn't help feeling protective. Finding the young man unconscious the other night hadn't help either, though Shinji hadn't been seriously hurt.

Shinji took a small step back and looked quickly away. "I wonder if the others found anything." He went for his wrist communicator but Kouji took a hold of the hand firmly.

"Would it help to say I'm sorry?"

Shinji looked up at him in confusion. "For what?"

Kouji shrugged. "Many things. Not finding you a long time ago would definitely be high on the list."

Shinji frowned at him, confusion given way to irritation. "Look, if this has anything to do with my apparent attraction to you, it's alright. I can deal with it."

"It has more to do with MY apparent attraction to YOU."

Shinji gave him a humorless smile. "I can deal with that, too."

Kouji sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't doubt that you can but it's me who's having trouble dealing, okay?"

Shinji's eyes flashed briefly. "Why? Because I won't join your little groupie?"

"What groupie? Tryffin's moving on. There is no groupie."

"I see. Since there's no more Tryffin, why not Shinji?"

Now it was Kouji's turn to get irritated. "That's not it at all! You know? I don't understand your holier-than-thou attitude. A few days ago you didn't even bat an eye when we made out, you knew about Tryf then. What's changed? Your assignment? I thought you said I wasn't just a job."

"But I'm still just a substitute," Shinji retorted.

"That's not true…" Kouji reached out again but Shinji shook his head and moved away.

"Don't worry about it." Shinji started down the hill, waving his hand airily. "I'm quite used to being a sub."

Kouji thought about that for a few second then ran after the younger man. "Wait!"

Shinji stopped and looked at him expectantly. Once Kouji caught up, he was lost for words. Shinji's flushed upturned face made him forget what he wanted to say…but then again, he wasn't really clear about the entire context either. He just wanted to let the younger man know that he cared. Perhaps more than he should be.

"Look, I can't change the fact that I was with Tryffin when you and I first met. And I can't change the fact that we were more that just roommates. But neither can I change the fact that I've always found you captivating…ever since the first time I'd set eyes on you." When Shinji didn't laugh in his face, Kouji continued with more confidence, "I won't feed you stupid lines or tell you that I love you or that I can't live without you. I don't know that I ever can…but I'd like the chance to find out. What I CAN tell you is that you were never a substitute. You were always you – someone…very special."

Shinji studied him silently for long moments. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't want you to tell me that you can't live without me either," he grumbled under his breath, looking away suddenly. "That is so…lame."

Kouji let out a huge breath he didn't know he was holding. Shinji's reaction was more important than he'd thought.

"So…can we start over?" Kouji held out his hand between them.

Shinji stared at the hand. Then he looked up at Kouji's face…then back at the hand again. "What are you doing?"

"My name is Kouji. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Gods, you are SO weird." But even as he was speaking, he put his hand in Kouji's. "Shinji," he mumbled, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Do you come here often? I haven't seen you here before." Kouji caressed Shinji's hand softly as he recalled their first meeting and those ancient pick-up lines he'd used.

Shinji made a face and shook his head. "Eeee! You said no stupid lines."

"Hey, I'll have you know that those lines got me hooked up with the most fascinating creature I've ever met." He pulled Shinji closer until their faces were a hairbreadth away from each other. The heat from Shinji's mostly bare body, pressing achingly sweet to his own was giving Kouji tantalizing ideas…

"Hey! I thought **_I_** was the most fascinating creature you've ever met." Tryffin's voice broke the magic and Kouji cursed softly while struggling hard to keep Shinji within his arms.

"YOU were the most outrageous creature with the worst possible timing!" Kouji turned towards his former lover's voice and grinned. "I see you're still alive."

Tryffin was standing next to an expressionless Ceilen who was studying Shinji…who was squirming most energetically against him. Kouji tightened his arms around the younger man, not wanting him to escape. Both men in front of him were dressed similarly to Shinji and himself; they were all reduced to a pair of swimming trunks and Kouji couldn't help feeling like they were on a picnic instead of a rescue mission.

"Yeah, well…bodyguard and all that." Tryffin grinned back and waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he glanced at Shinji. "How's it going?"

"Could be better."

Tryffin laughed as Shinji let out a choked sound.

"We should find the others," Ceilen said quietly. "There are things we must discuss."

Shinji pressed a series of buttons on his watch and looked up at Ceilen. "Where?"

"The beach."

Shinji nodded and pulled slightly away from Kouji as he contacted his teammates. Kouji left him alone as he talked and walked over to Tryffin and Ceilen.

"So…are you guys okay?" It was strange knowing that there was something between these two. Kouji could still remember their first meeting and Tryffin's hostility and reluctance to go with Ceilen. Now it was as if Tryffin couldn't live without this man. Kouji stole a glance at the stoic bodyguard and wonder what Tryffin saw in the man. Sure he was good looking but he was hardly Tryffin's type…

And how did Kouji feel about that? Tryffin had spent the past four years with him. How did he feel about being replaced?

Kouji thought about that for a moment and tried to feel hurt or resentment…but they weren't coming. There was certainly a keen sense of loss and sadness. He wouldn't see much of Tryffin anymore…he would sorely miss the redhead; they've had some good times together. But he was glad for Tryffin too. He was happy that Tryffin seemed to have found what he was looking for.

Ceilen watched him approach then moved away towards Shinji. Kouji frowned and allowed his gaze to follow the silent man as he stopped next to the Shinji and started a quiet conversation.

"Hey." Tryffin nudged him playfully. "Jealous, already?"

Kouji looked at the redhead and shook his head. "You sure about this? He's…" _not normal_ went unsaid and they both knew it. Another dimension aside…the man was still the strangest person he'd ever met.

Tryffin's eyes drifted to the object of their discussion and Kouji could see the changes in his expression. The redhead's eyes softened and a gentle smiled played across his lips. "Yeah…I'm sure."

"And if he's…you know…from the other side?"

Tryffin continued to watch Ceilen but his expression turned thoughtful. Then he turned and gave Kouji a weak smile.

"Then let's hope he's not going back. You know I've never been big on traveling."

"You've never been big on relationships either. That's not stopping you now."

Tryffin blinked and then turned to look at Ceilen again. "No…no, it's not."

Kouji allowed himself a satisfied little smile. No…Tryffin had never allowed anything to come between him and what he wanted…and right now, what he wanted was Ceilen.

He just hoped that Ceilen felt the same way…for as long at Tryffin wanted.

Because if he did anything to hurt Tryffin, dimensional gates or not, Kouji wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Not in any lifetime.

TBC…

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Wai! It took too long, I know. I'm sorry. Consolation…WK 12 is about half done already so it won't be that long before it's posted. 

Thanks again for reading and sticking around. It's going to get real complicated soon…I hope I don't lose anyone in the plot. _::huge sweatdrop::_

Oh, I want to thank those that read 'The Favor' and 'Fall' and left messages for me. _::grins::_ 'The Favor'was written so fast, I was a bit worried. But I'm glad you liked it. _::bows::_


	12. Of Murder Mysteries and Little Green Men

**Author's notes and warnings:** knock knock Hello? Anybody there?

Summary for those of you who did not read AFL-WK-12: They are all together again on the beach. Wasn't that easy? Okay, a bit more: As they were preparing for the upcoming trip to Itu Aba, the Weiss boys found out about the deaths of Hikou and Kouran from some old computer files. Was Ceilen responsible for their deaths?

I really want to thank all of you who read this story… and haven't given up on it. You are the reason I haven't given up either. (cries) Unfortunately, FF(dot)net won't allow me to write messages to my reviewers so a group hug with the following people will have to do: _Sirrah-chan, Shadowy Fluffball, Unofficial Schwarz, The Katgrl, Leila, Sakusha, Hcbenitez, Krysana, Ravenstar692003, Shinigami, Ambika-san, Sakata Ri Houjun, DragonLoverRyushi, Whisper Reilman, Kiawna, Aenisses Thai, Mrs. Passionate and LuceScuro._ I truly appreciate your support. Please leave an email address in the review so that I can personally thank you.

Special thanks to my beta, Hitari-chan, who braved stormy weather to get this done. (hugs) AND to Xellas, for whom this story is dedicated. (loves)

* * *

**A Fine Line – FY**: Chapter 12 - _Of Murder Mysteries and Little Green Men_

By Moonraven

(day 7 – at the end of AFL-WK-12)

"It wasn't the Faction who killed them..." Tryffin didn't know what had made him say that. He wished he'd kept his mouth shut; they were all looking at him now.

"How do YOU know this?" Ken asked.

Tryffin shook his head and remained silent. Ceilen's expression when he had found Tryffin reading the girl's journal had been bad enough… he really wasn't looking forward to seeing the one where Ceilen found out he'd been yapping about it.

"Well… if it wasn't the faction, then who killed them?"

Since Tryffin didn't know THAT either, it was quite easy to keep quiet.

"I did."

Shit!

Tryffin shuddered at the chill in his bodyguard's voice. He couldn't bring himself to look at the man; he knew that Ceilen was back behind his icy walls again and Tryffin wasn't sure he could survive another attempt to bring the man out.

After several moments of stunned silence, Ceilen walked slowly forward and dumped the SCBA in front of the group. He looked from one man to another then said, "It has no relevance to what we're doing; I suggest you concentrate on the mission at hand."

The other men remained silent as they studied Ceilen, trying to weigh the situation and the possible repercussion of what was revealed. Ceilen was wrong. To these men, what the rogue agent had done had a huge impact on the trust they had placed on him. Could they trust him to watch their backs now?

Apparently Ken felt the same way… or he was just the only one to speak his mind. "Um… you killed a co-worker AND your girlfriend. HOW is that 'irrelevant'?"

Ceilen studied him for a moment and then said coldly, "How is it relevant? You've killed. One of them was a close friend, I believe. Should I take THAT into consideration as well?"

Tryffin heard several shocked gasps around him. He turned to Ken in surprise. He couldn't believe the brunet would do something like that.

Ken was staring at Ceilen, completely stunned. His face was pale and his hands clenched tight by his sides. "How…?"

Aya moved up next to Ken and gave Ceilen a menacing glare. "Kase tried to kill Ken twice and was responsible for countless deaths. Unless you're saying that Kappa and this girl were the same, don't compare them to anyone we've hunted."

Tryffin thought he saw pain flicker behind Ceilen's one eye but he was too far to see clearly and the man was too quick to cover it up. Ceilen shook his head, his expression still stony.

"You're right; they were innocents but their deaths had nothing to do with that," he pointed to the island they couldn't see but knew was there. "Not directly, anyway and I won't be making that mistake again. Ever." As Ceilen said the last part, his gaze turned to Tryffin and the redhead felt his heart sank to the sand below. He didn't know what Ceilen was talking about but the impending sense of dread was almost overwhelming. He was losing Ceilen before he could even have him and Tryffin had no idea why.

Before anyone else could voice their argument, Shinji gave a sharp cry of pain and staggered to his knees, clutching his chest. Kouji rushed to his side but the young man was oblivious, he cried out again, his eyes brimming with tears.

Tryffin saw the rest of the men dropped to the sand and crawled for cover. He stared around him in horror. Were they under attack? Someone yanked on his wrist and Tryffin found himself lying underneath Ceilen as the man used his body to shield him. Tryffin was too stunned to protest. He shifted his head so he could see Shinji but Kouji was already dragging the young man behind a large rock.

Ceilen suddenly pulled off Tryffin and stood up. "There's no enemy," he said quietly and then went quickly to Shinji's side.

"How do you know?" Tryffin scrambled to his feet and followed close behind.

"I just do."

"Of course you do," Tryffin muttered, shaking his head. Why he bothered to try and understand Ceilen was beyond him. The man was certainly NOT cooperating. Not far away, Tryffin saw Ken, Aya and Youji look around them uncertainly before following Ceilen to the younger assassin.

When they got to Shinji, the young man was curled on his side; his eyes shut tight, his hands still clutched at something over his chest.

Ken pushed Kouji to the side, ignoring the man's grunt of protest. "Shinji! What is it?" Then he pried Shinji's hands away to see the cause of the younger man's pain… and found nothing.

"Hurry… you must do it… now." Shinji's voice caught in his throat as he struggled to get the words out. They all looked at him in confusion.

Tryffin stared, opened-mouth; he couldn't say why but the sight and sound of that plea went straight to his heart… and he felt it breaking in little pieces.

"Do what?" Kouji and Ken asked at the same time.

Shinji didn't seem to have heard them but writhed on the sand in apparent agony. "Tasuki-san! Do it now!"

Something exploded in the back of Tryffin's mind and he staggered to his knees, clutching at his own chest. His heart contracted painfully and his head hurt. Something was happening to him… he didn't know what it was but it felt like his entire being was being ripped apart… his body and mind seemed to be holding back some unknown force and the intensity of it tore at his consciousness, suffocating him.

"Another one?" Somebody said. "What the hell is going on?"

Tryffin felt a hand on his shoulders, straightening him. He didn't want to move, the pain in his heart was more than a physical blow… he suddenly wanted to die.

"Tryffin!"

It was Ceilen's voice that brought him back. His bodyguard shook him gently and called out to him again. Tryffin focused and clung on to that voice… the voice that had brought him back from his nightmares so many times before.

Through tear-filled eyes, Tryffin looked up and clutched at Ceilen's shoulders.

"Why?" His voice shook as he tried to voice his confusion. "I don't understand. He said, 'Tasuki'. How…?"

"Shinji! Snap out of it!" They heard Kouji shout and Tryffin turned to see him slapping Shinji across the face hard. Before anyone could react, the young assassin stopped moving and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked dazedly at Kouji, and brought a hand up to cup his reddened cheek. Then he turned and looked at the stunned faces around him in confusion.

"What happened?" When Shinji's eyes came to rest on Tryffin, the young man took a sharp breath and clutched at his chest again, a glint of recognition flashed across his face briefly before it disappeared and he shook his head uncertainly. "I… What happened?" He asked again.

Tryffin rubbed at his own chest. The pain had already subsided but the memory of that desperate plea refused to go away. There was something… familiar about that awful feeling… about the way Shinji had looked at him. What the hell was going on? And how did the young man know about Tasuki?

He turned to Ceilen once more, his eyes wide with a sudden thought. "Are you doing this?" Then he grimaced in distaste. "But… this isn't a part of that… fantasy of yours… is it?"

Ceilen didn't look at him, his uncomfortable gaze locked onto a spot somewhere behind Tryffin. He did not reply.

"What are you talking about? What fantasy?" Youji asked. "And who the hell is Tasuki?"

By this time, everybody was looking from Shinji to Tryffin with what could only be described as 'a fucking lot of confusion'.

Ceilen glanced at Shinji, his expression matching those of the men around them.

Shinji shook his head. "It's not from him," he whispered. "It's an old nightmare. I had it since I was little."

Youji peered at him from over the rim of his glasses. "But you weren't sleeping."

"Yeah… and fantasy aside, hasn't HE been around a long time?" Ken asked.

Shinji shook his head again. "But I wasn't with Kritiker then… I'd never met Peregrine. Besides, my nightmare had mostly stopped when I'd joined the organization."

"Okay," Youji interjected. "Let me repeat this: you were not sleeping just now."

Ken clutched his head, and then noticing the exasperated look from Aya, he exclaimed, "No, I'm not thinking about my brain being sucked out by aliens! The twists in the plot are actually giving me a headache!" He sighed and turned back to scrutinize Ceilen. "Well…?"

Everyone turned their eyes to Ceilen, who was looking impatient and irritated. "I don't know anything about… what's happening to him." The man appeared calm but Tryffin saw uncertainly flickering across his face. He decided to push the point.

"But how is his old nightmare connected to you? Or to me?" Tryffin rubbed at his chest again, though the pain was only a mere memory now.

Ceilen stared hard at Tryffin and then turned to look unhappily at Shinji. Then he sighed and closed his eye briefly. When he opened it again, he avoided their eyes and stared off into the distance. "There are… things that are not on the CD I gave you."

"Ho, so it finally comes out," Youji snorted.

Ceilen gave him a dark look. "The less you know about it, the better it is for you. This was supposed to be a simple assignment for the infamous White Hunters. Search and Rescue is a trainee level operation. I gave you all the information you needed to extract them. You were supposed to go in, get out and leave me the hell alone!" Ceilen ran hand through his hair, exasperated.

"What have you left out of the report?" Aya asked, bringing everyone back on track.

Ceilen sighed heavily. "I'm not the only one that the Faction is looking for," his voice sounded tired but Tryffin thought he heard a hint of relief as well. It was as if he was glad to be able to share this burden. "There are others, I don't know how many more, but I intercepted and neutralized several of the Faction's past attempts."

"Neutralized or eliminated?"

Ceilen gave Aya a sidelong look. "Neutralized. I placed… shields; I guess you can say, around the targets. The Faction won't be able to find them again. Well, unless something happens to me." He shrugged and gave them a humorless smile.

"But," Ken frowned, thinking hard. "How do you know… about them? I mean… how…" He trailed off, staring at Ceilen and Tryffin could see that he was remembering the little green dots on the computer monitor. "Can you tell what they are?"

Ceilen shrugged again. "Most of the time, no. I monitored the Faction's communication so I knew what they were doing. Still, in some cases, I could feel a… strange connection somehow." He shook his head briskly. "It's hard to explain."

"Like the connection with Tryffin or Shinji?" Aya asked.

Ceilen frowned, glancing briefly at Tryffin. "With Tryffin, it's difficult to tell," he paused, looking uncomfortable. "We're connecting… differently so I'm not entirely sure what it is, but Shinji…" He trailed off evasively. Tryffin felt a rush of pleasure at Ceilen's admission. He suddenly felt like dancing.

"So… are you saying that Tryf or Shinji could be one of the people… like you? From another dimension?" Kouji moved closer to the young assassin and put an arm around him.

Ceilen frowned, irritated again at the mention of the other dimension. "Look. The evidence is not conclusive on the Shinzahou. They are still speculations."

"But you have to admit that you can do some nifty shit," Youji commented dryly.

Ceilen gave him a chilling gaze. "So could Schwartz and Esset and a number of people you've come across. Yet they are not linked to this project."

"You said 'things'," Aya interrupted with a warning look at Youji. "What else is there?"

Ceilen thought for a moment then said, "There are ancient texts written on several of the artifacts that were found. Within these past 15 years, the Faction managed to decipher a few passages that mentioned 'Keys' and a 'Guardian'. Apparently, 'Keys' are needed to open the gate but the Guardian is supposed to prevent that."

There was a long silence where everybody was staring at Ceilen. Then Ken cleared his throat with a little squeak and asked, "Which… which one are you?"

"Does it matter?"

"You have to be the Guardian," Youji said as he looked critically at Ceilen.

"Why would you say that?" Kouji asked.

"Don't you think he's fulfilling that role so far?"

"You don't want me to be the Guardian," Ceilen said quietly – too quietly for Tryffin's liking.

"Why not?"

"The Guardian's role is to stop the activation of the gate at all cost. That includes destroying the Keys." Here he looked pointedly at Tryffin and Shinji.

The silence that followed that little revelation was deafening. Tryffin shook his head, unwilling to think that Ceilen would do that. "No… I'm no Key, and you can't be this Guardian. You're saving them - these… Keys - that's what you said, right? The shield thing? To keep them from the Faction? You're… not destroying them. Maybe the real Guardian is sitting by the gate or something."

Ceilen sighed. "You're all assuming that there is a gate at all."

"Er… yeah," Ken snorted. "Better safe than sorry, you know. Besides, what were you doing shielding all those people if you didn't believe it?"

"I didn't say I don't believe it. There is something on Itu Aba – something extraordinary, that much I know. Whether or not it's Atlantis or a dimensional gate is another matter."

Aya frowned. "Gate or no gate, we have to go there, get Manx and Omi, and then find out what the Faction is up to." He turned to Ceilen. "Plans?"

Ceilen looked relieved to be getting back to the mission. He went to a small pile of equipment and pulled out a raggedy looking map. He came back to where they were by the rock and spread the map over a flat part of the boulder.

"We're here." He pointed to a crescent-shaped island. "And here is Itu Aba." He trailed a finger from their location to a much larger island a few inches away on the paper. "We have to approach from the south side. The reefs are thicker in that area. They're counting on that to guard against intruders so the security is lighter here." Ceilen tapped an area on the island. "That's where we're going in."

"And we're going to avoid getting shredded on the reefs… by going in at night?" Ken didn't sound like he believed it would work. Tryffin stared at the maps and the squiggly lines representing the reefs all around Itu Aba. His heart sank; there were A LOT of those lines where they were heading and Tryffin had watched enough National Geographic to know that NOT making it alive to the island was a very real possibility.

"Tonight there's high tide," Ceilen's voice was calm and sure. "Even then, vessels, no matter how small won't clear the corals. That's why we're swimming." His bodyguard turned back to one of his packs on the sand and pulled out an aerosol can. "We have to seal any open wounds you have," he paused and looked pointedly at Youji's shoulder where the blond sported a square-shaped bandage. "A tiny drop of blood in the water tonight and we won't make it to the island."

"Sh… sharks?" Ken squeaked, moving a few steps closer to Aya. "I don't like sharks."

Aya sighed and shook his head but Ken ignored him and inched even closer to the redhead.

Ceilen stared at the brunet. "They won't bother us if we're not advertising." He tossed the can to Youji. "It's a sealant, very effective even in salt water. Make sure you help each other cover all open wounds."

"Is there another can?" Tryffin asked. "You cut yourself pretty badly the other night, I want to make sure…" Tryffin trailed off as he suddenly realized that there were no wounds on Ceilen at all… Most of the time Ceilen had worn long sleeve shirts… but today he'd taken it off… and Tryffin was too freaked out by his phobia and everything else that had happened to notice. Now, it was as if his bodyguard had never cut himself to ribbons just a couple of days ago.

"What…" He took a surprised step back. "How did you do that?"

Ceilen was quiet for a long moment then said, "I heal fast."

Tryffin shook his head, still not believing what he was seeing. He stepped closer to Ceilen and reached a tentative hand to touch the other man's chest. He traced the invisible lines he knew were there a couple of days ago, his hands trembling. "Nobody heals this fast."

Ceilen took a hold of his wrist, moving Tryffin's hand away from his skin. "I do." Then his bodyguard turned away and went to a black bag a few feet away. He began pulling fins and goggles out of the bag, along with some other things Tryffin had never seen before.

"I know you said not to ask but, where do you get all this stuff?"

Youji had come up to stand next to Tryffin, watching Ceilen with interest. "Do you have an underwater supply store on this island or something?"

Ceilen did not look up but continued to pull things out… impossible number of things that really shouldn't have fitted in that bag.

"Sort of," the rogue agent said evasively.

"You got a missile launcher in there too?" Youji asked, too amused in Tryffin's opinion.

Ceilen looked up, his one eye glinted strangely in the dimming sunlight. "If we need it."

Surprisingly, Youji smiled. And then he turned to his teammates. "Okay, that's it. Aya, I want him to come home with us. Or at the very least, I want that bag."

And more surprisingly, Ceilen smiled back, shaking his head as he went back to work. Tryffin wanted to take that smile and put in a box. It was beautiful.

When everyone was done sealing up any potential cuts that could cause them problem, they began putting on their gear while munching mechanically on nutrition bars – their dinner on the go.

Tryffin found himself in a strange daze. He could see and hear things that were around him but he couldn't seem to… notice them. It was like watching TV but not really paying attention to it. He should be nervous as hell but he wasn't… he was… almost numb. Was this shock? Was his mind shutting down because of his phobia? And why wasn't he more scared?

Tryffin wasn't sure when he finished donning his own gear… he wasn't even sure when he started… but when Ceilen tapped his cheeks a few times, he came out of his stupor and found that he had somehow put on the fins, strapped a knife to his thigh and some kind of tool belt around his waist. The last article reminded him of Batman for some reason.

He blinked at Ceilen, confused and more than a little scared. What the hell happened?

"It's alright." Ceilen's voice was calm and it should have the same effect on Tryffin but it didn't.

Tryffin looked around near panicked. It was almost as if he had lost several minutes of his life. Everyone else was all geared up and ready to go. He took a frightened step back, his eyes darting from person to person to finally rest on Ceilen.

"How can it be all right? I think I just… freaked out again. Are… are you doing this?" He took another step back. "You have to stop. If I… if it starts when I'm in the water…" Tryffin trailed off, trembling uncontrollably.

Ceilen took a hold of Tryffin's arms and pulled the younger man against him. "Shhh… it's alright. Nothing is going to happen. Trust me." Ceilen's voice was soft and soothing, his breath warm against Tryffin's cheek and ear. Tryffin relaxed and rested his head on Ceilen's shoulder, his arms going around his bodyguard's waist.

"I'm scared," he mumbled into Ceilen's neck.

Ceilen held him close, one hand stroking the back of his head. "I know, but I won't let anything happen to you. I promised."

Tryffin lifted his head slightly to look into Ceilen's eye. . "I know… but just in case…" He leaned over and kissed the other man softly on the lips. "I love you."

Tryffin had never made that declaration to anyone before, so he had no idea if the shocked expression on his bodyguard's face was the usual response.

He VERY seriously hoped not.

TBC…

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Note: I'm sorry if the story seems to be moving very slowly. I would like nothing more than to get them going and take care of the bad guys but looking at their characters, the work they do and the subject matter involved, I feel that rushing ahead would not be realistic. Please let me know your opinion on this? 


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